The Boar's Head listeria outbreak has been linked to a 10th death. Lawmakers want answers
A tenth person has died in connection to a multi-state listeria outbreak linked to a Boar’s Head plant in Virginia. The news follows a nationwide recall of potentially contaminated deli meats from the company.
Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) last update in late August, two more illnesses and one additional death have been reported. As of September 23, a total 59 people across 19 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria — all requiring hospitalization.
The CDC warned that the number of reported illness could increase, as it can take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis.
Some lawmakers are now calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice to investigate whether Boar’s Head should face criminal charges, CNN reports.
“It is unacceptable that Boar’s Head did not take sufficient action to rectify these conditions that resulted in repeated violations for similar issues,” wrote Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro in a letter sent Thursday to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick Garland. “The time for action is long overdue, and we urge your agencies to work together to seek immediate justice for impacted consumers and to prevent this from happening again.”
When reached for a comment, Boar’s Head referred Quartz to a company statement that was last updated on Sept. 13.
“We understand the gravity of this situation and the profound impact it has had on affected families,” the company said. “Comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent such an incident from ever happening again.”
Boar’s Head announced earlier this month that it is “indefinitely” closing its Virginia deli plant, which has been linked to a fatal listeria outbreak this summer. Liverwurst processing was the source of the contamination and will be permanently discontinued, the company added.
Federal inspectors reportedly found dozens of violations in the Boar’s Head’s now closed Virginia facility.
U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors flagged at least 69 noncompliance violations — including mold, pooling water, and the presence of insects near food — according to records obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious listeriosis infections in young children, elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems. An estimated 1,600 people in the U.S. get listeriosis ever year, with about 260 annual fatalities, according to the CDC.
- Francisco Velasquez contributed to this report.
