The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has said that turkey deli meat produced at Pilgrim’s Pride’s Franconia plant is the “most likely source” of a listeria outbreak that has sickened around 40 people and caused seven fatalities.

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The CDC found that the strain of bacteria discovered in a drain at Pilgrim’s Pride Franconia, Pennsylvania plant is the same strain responsible for a listeria outbreak in the northeastern US.


“This finding coupled with other information gathered to date suggest turkey deli meat from this plant is the most likely source responsible for this outbreak,” CDC spokesman Tom Skinner told Reuters.


The CDC, together with the United States Department of Agriculture, is in the process of investigating a major outbreak of several strains of listeria that has sickened 120 people in the northeastern US, 23 of whom died as a result of the disease. The investigators will continue to look for other possible sources of the outbreak.


Pilgrim’s Pride launched the largest meat recall in US history on Sunday, recalling 27.4m pounds of ready-to-eat turkey and chicken products processed at the Franconia plant and sold under the Wampler Foods brand.

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