Listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. CDC always recommends people at higher risk for listeriosis avoid eating meats sliced at the deli or heat them to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot before eating.

What People at Higher Risk Should Do

Listeria is especially harmful if you are pregnant, are aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system due to certain medical conditions or treatments. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.

If you are pregnant, are aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system:

• Do not eat meats you get sliced at any deli counter, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot. Let it cool before you eat it.
• Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator, but it is easily killed by heating food to a high enough temperature.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms:

• People who are not pregnant usually experience fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.

Pregnant people usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. However, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.

Listeria Symptoms

• For people who are pregnant, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in their newborn.
• For people who are 65 years or older or who have a weakened immune system, Listeria often results in hospitalization and sometimes death.
• Symptoms usually start within 2 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria, but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after.
• Pregnant people usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.
• People who are not pregnant usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.

For more information on the Listeria Outbreak, visit:

www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/index.html