A Listeria outbreak linked to Johnston County Ham products has hospitalized four people, one of whom has died. The company has issued a recall for the ready-to-eat products. Consumers who have purchased these products should not eat them as Listeria can cause serious illness and death.
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Johnston County Ham Listeria Recall
On October 3, 2018, Johnston County Hams, Inc. of Smithfield, North Carolina issued a recall of ham products because they may be contaminated with Listeria bacteria. The recalled products were produced from April 3, 2017, through October 2, 2018 and are marked with the establishment number “EST. M2646” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The following products are included in the recall:
- Johnston County Hams, Inc. Country Style Fully Cooked Boneless Deli Ham
- Goodnight Brothers Country Ham Boneless Fully Cooked
- Padow’s Hams & Deli, Inc. Fully Cooked Country ham Boneless Glazed with Brown Sugar
- Ole Fashioned Sugar Cured The Old Dominion Brand Hams Premium Fully-Cooked Country Ham with sell-by dates from 4/10/2018 to 9/27/2019
- Premium Fully-Cooked Country Ham Less Salt Distributed by Valley Country Hams, LLC. with sell-by dates from 4/10/2018 to 9/27/2019
Johnston County Ham Listeria Outbreak
Public health investigators used DNA “fingerprinting” to determine that four people in two states were sickened by the same strain of Listeria over more than a year. Stool samples were collected from case-patients from July 8, 2017 to August 11, 2018. Ham products collected from Johnston County Hams, Inc. facility in 2016 and in early 2018 tested positive for the outbreak strain.
Three of the illnesses were reported from Virginia, one was reported from North Carolina. The fatality was reported from Virginia. The case-patients range in age from 70 to 81 years old, with a median age of 76 years. Fifty percent of the case-patients are female. All four were hospitalized.
During interviews with health officials, case-patients reported eating deli ham or other deli meat from a grocery store or restaurant before they became ill. The ham was also served at an assisted living facility where one of the case-patients lived.
Symptoms of a Listeria Infection
Symptoms of a Listeria infection, called listeriosis, usually develop anywhere from one to four weeks after exposure but can sometimes take as long as 70 days. They include flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, stiff neck, muscle aches as well as confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
Listeriosis poses a serious risk to pregnant women who are at risk of suffering a miscarriage or stillbirth. Others at elevated risk are seniors and those with compromised immune systems.
Listeria Lawyers with Experience
The Listeria lawyers at Pritzker Hageman have won millions of dollars for families who have lost loved ones in a wrongful death from Listeria and for clients who suffered serious illness, including $4.5 million for one client who ate contaminated food and suffered permanent brain damage.
“Listeria contamination is preventable,” said Fred Pritzker, founder of the national food safety law firm. “In each case our goal is the same: win full and fair compensation, hold the wrongdoer accountable, and protect the public.”
“Listeria contamination is preventable,” said Fred Pritzker, founder of the national food safety law firm. “In each case our goal is the same: win full and fair compensation, hold the wrongdoer accountable, and protect the public.”Contact Fred Pritzker and the experienced team of Listeria lawyers at Pritzker Hageman for a free consultation. Or, call toll-free 1(888) 377-8900.