Infant Dies and at Least 11 Others Infected amid Listeria Outbreak Linked to Ready-to-Eat Meat

The CDC is urging people to dispose of their Yu Shang Food ready-to-eat meat and poultry products

An infant is dead and at least 11 others are infected amid a multi-state outbreak of listeria tied to ready-to-eat meat.

On Friday, Nov. 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared an update featuring the latest numbers connected to the outbreak, days after the recall of multiple Yu Shang Food ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.

According to the organization, the infant who died was a twin, and listeria was found in a sample from both them and their mother. The child's twin also died, but listeria was not found in their sample. (Another infant was reported to have gotten sick as well, but recovered, the CDC said.)

Those who became ill included one person in New York, another in New Jersey, two Illinois residents and seven people in California, per the CDC, which said that the "true number of sick people is likely higher than the number reported."

"This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for listeria," the CDC wrote. "In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."

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The CDC detailed that seven people said they shopped at markets where Shang Food products were sold, and two people said they specifically ate Yu Shang Food chicken.

On Oct. 21, "routine testing" from the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service found contaminated products. A Nov. 9 recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products was then issued, followed by a Nov. 21 expanded recall, in response to the listeria monocytogenes infections.

Of the 11 people infected — whose samples were collected from October 24, 2021, to July 31, 2024 — the median age was 64, with all of them having identified themselves as having Asian heritage, per the CDC.

Laboratory data discovered by the CDC suggested that people involved in the outbreak "got sick from the same food" after a method called "whole genome sequencing" discovered the infected people's samples were "closely related genetically."

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The specific products being recalled include all products with "Yu Shang" on the label, featuring establishment numbers "P46684" and "EST. M46684," and all products produced before Oct. 28.

Per the Food Safety and Inspection Service, this includes over 20 total products, such as the "Braised Pork Belly In Brown Sauce," "Seasoned Pork Snout Meat" and "Seasoned Chicken Quarter Leg."

"Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns," the USDA shared. "Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected."

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Listeriosis symptoms can include headache, fever, muscle aches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and "convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea," per the USDA, with the infection potentially causing miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery and other results in pregnant women.

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Those who purchased the recalled products are urged to throw them out or return them to a store.