In a multistate listeria outbreak, 7 million pounds of deli and poultry items have been recalled in the U.S. According to the latest report, 34 people have fallen sick in 13 states and this includes 33 hospitalizations and two deaths. Boar’s Head, the deli meat company, last week, had recalled more than 207,000 pounds of deli meat which also included liverwurst and ham products, because they may contain the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in a press release said that the recall of deli meat had now expanded and this includes 71 products — including meat intended for slicing at delis, and some packaged meat and poultry products —produced from May 10 to July 29.

The company in a statement on its website said that it had initiated the recall after a liverwurst sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health had tested positive for listeria, according to a report in NBC News.

The Maryland Department of Health and that at Baltimore City Health Department collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for further testing that determined the product sample “tested positive for the outbreak strain,” the USDA release said.

Listeria infection which is also known as listeriosis is a foodborne illness. Listeria monocytogenes cause listeriosis and it is commonly found in soil, groundwater, rotting vegetation and animal faeces (poop). Most people get infected from eating contaminated foods. It usually takes one to two weeks to show symptoms, however, in some cases, it can be as short as a couple of days or as long as three months.

The infection can be severe for a lot of people, including pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy people rarely get ill but the disease can be deadly for unborn babies and newborns.

Here, take a look at some of the common symptoms of listeria infection.

When the infection spreads to your nervous system, it can cause the following signs and symptoms.

Here, take a look at the symptoms during pregnancy and in newborns

During pregnancy, a listeria infection is likely to cause only mild signs and symptoms in the mother. Mayo Clinic says that the consequences for the baby, however, can be devastating and the baby can die in the womb or have a life-threatening infection within a few days of being born.

Signs and symptoms of a listeria infection in a newborn can be subtle, but can include:

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.