A deadly listeria outbreak affected six US states and has been linked to contaminated deli meat and cheese, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday

One person died, a woman lost her pregnancy, and over a dozen others were sickened. The agency suggested that those at high risk should not eat meat or cheese from any deli counter “unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot.”

Older people, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems are at the greatest risk of infection. Healthy people can also suffer from its symptoms.

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The illnesses happened from April 2021 to Sept. 29. 2022.

New York state reported the most number of people sickened, with at least seven people affected. Five of them bought deli meat or cheese from at least one location of the NetCost Market chain, according to the CDC.

Three case have been reported in Maryland, two in Illinois, two in Massachusetts, one in California and one in New Jersey were infected. Those affected ranged in age from from 38 to 92, with an average age of 74. Over half of those sickened were men.

The CDC said that anyone who has purchased deli cheese or meat must clean the refrigerator — and any containers or surfaces the meat or cheese may have touched — with hot, soapy water.

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“Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of severe Listeria illness after eating meat or cheese from a deli,” the CDC said. 

Symptoms of listeria usually occur within four weeks of infection but can take as long as 70 days to appear. In some cases, the first signs of infection are diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Other symptoms include headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle pain, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.