A routine U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection found dangerously high levels of listeria in several processed Italian meat products.

Daniele International, the company that makes Boar’s Head, Colameco’s, and several other kinds of Italian sausage, salami, and other cold cuts, voluntarily recalled over 50,000 pounds of tainted meat. The company says that customers who purchased contaminated meat are eligible for full refunds.

According to the CDC, Listeria kills about 260 of the 1,600 Americans infected each year. Senior citizens, pregnant women, and children under 5 are the most vulnerable to Listeria’s worse effects. Listeria can also cause stillbirths and miscarriages. Infection symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, severe headaches, stomachaches, stiffness, confusion, high fever, and poor balance.

A Closer Look at Listeria

About twenty variations of this bacteria live in soil and animals, making Listeria very common in meats and vegetables. Pasteurization kills Listeria and most other kinds of bacteria. However, contamination frequently occurs in that narrow window between pasteurization, which is essentially boiling food, and packaging.

Normally, bacterial infections are only serious if the victim has a pre-existing condition. Listeria is different, as outlined below. This bacterial infection could be fatal, even if the victim isn’t particularly vulnerable to infections. Between 2011 and 2019, eight worldwide Listeria outbreaks killed over fifty people. Thirty-five of these victims were in two outbreaks, one in Colorado and the other in Australia.

Listeria outbreaks are difficult to pin down. It’s hard to identify the specific kind of bacteria and pinpoint the source.

Listeria outbreaks could happen at home as well. Chances are, there are a few microbes in everything you bring home from the grocery store. The level just isn’t high enough to cause serious injury.

Sanitizing surfaces with rubbing alcohol and keeping food refrigerated usually controls, but does not kill, Listeria.

Possible Illnesses

When Listeria enters the human body, it immediately and aggressively attacks the immune system. The two major related illnesses are:

Non-Invasive Listeriosis:

The bacteria remain in the digestive tract, causing fever, muscle pain, and moderate symptoms that some combination of rest, an over-the-counter medicine, and a bland diet usually treat effectively.

Invasive Listeriosis:

This serious illness resembles meningitis. In some cases, the bacteria spread from the digestive tract through the blood to the central nervous system. High doses of strong antibiotics, which usually must be administered in a hospital setting, cure invasive listeriosis.

Both kinds of listeriosis are very dangerous for pregnant women. This aggressive bacteria could infect the fetus, which is most likely to occur during the third trimester. Unborn babies have vulnerable immune systems at this time.

Other vulnerable population groups include HIV patients and older adults. If you are a vulnerable person and may have been exposed to Listeria, immediate testing and treatment is necessary.

Your Claim for Damages

A USDA or other government recall prevents the outbreak from widening, but it does nothing to compensate the victims.

Even in a simple non-invasive listeriosis case, the damages could be high. Most of these victims miss some work. Additionally, bacteria cultures and other diagnostic tests are quite expensive. The bills really mount up if the victim is a vulnerable person or develops invasive listeriosis: a hospital bed costs about $3,000 per day. Strong antibiotics could cost even more than that.

Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced attorney, contact Napoli Shkolnik. We do not charge upfront legal fees and only recover a fee when we win your case.