Third Death Is Tied to Listeria, Health Officials Say

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A third person has died from consuming products tainted with listeria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, the latest death connected to a nationwide outbreak that began in May and has been linked to meats sliced at deli counters. Officials also said that the number of people sickened by food contaminated by the bacteria had risen to 43 since they last released numbers in late July. The outbreak has been linked by federal food safety officials to Boar’s Head deli meats, and the company recently recalled millions of pounds of meat. Boar’s Head, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the third death, which occurred in Virginia, began recalling sliceable deli meats in late July, after federal food safety officials announced that a sample of Boar’s Head liverwurst for sale at a Maryland store had tested positive for the same strain of the bacteria causing the outbreak of listeriosis. On July 30, Boar’s Head recalled seven million pounds of meat, following an earlier and more limited recall. The recall includes more than 70 products — including those made from ham, beef and poultry — that were manufactured at its plant in Virginia.