By Hank Russell
The four Long Island members of Congress — Nick LaLota (R-Hauppauge), Andrew Garbarino (R-Patchogue), Anthony D’Esposito (R-Garden City) and Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) — sent a letter to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) seeking answers on what the agencies are doing to protect Americans — and Long Islanders — from the spread of listeria.
In a letter addressed to CDC Director Mandy Cohen and FSIS Administrator Paul Kiecker, the four representatives are calling for answers as to what steps the FSIS has taken to bring inspectors and investigators to Long Island and what steps have been taken to update its Retail Listeria Monocytogenes Guidelines and work with public health partners and industry groups to improve its outreach since the current outbreak. Additionally, the letter asks what steps the CDC has taken to increase public awareness of the signs and symptoms of listeria during the current outbreak.
According to the letter, the FSIS announced on July 26 that a Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt, Virginia issued a recall of all its liverwurst products — and other deli meat products made on the same line that day — because they may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Both the Maryland Department of Health and the new York State Food Laboratory both identified the same outbreak strain in the liverwurst products.
“Illness, hospitalization, and deaths linked to the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak have increased since that time,” they wrote. “The CDC notes that the true number of sick people is likely higher as all the documented ill patients were hospitalized, and that some people may recover without medical care.”
According to the CDC, 14 people became sick from Listeria; two of the cases were from Suffolk County and one was from Nassau.
The CDC defines Listeria as an invasive illness, which means it can spread beyond the intestines. It is a bacteria that contaminates food, such as deli meats. People who eat food contaminated with Listeria usually come down with symptoms within two weeks. Symptoms include fever, flu-like symptoms (such as muscle aches and fatigue), headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures.
Although the symptoms are mild for those who are pregnant, those who aren’t pregnant may experience more severe symptoms; 16% of those with invasive listerosis die, according to the CDC.
“What steps has FSIS taken to deploy inspectors and investigators to hotspots like Suffolk County and Nassau County?” the congressmen asked.
Long Island Life & Politics has reached out to the CDC, but has yet to hear back as of press time.