Missouri woman falls 'deathly ill' with listeria after eating sausage brand sold in stores nationwide
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A woman who fell 'deathly ill' after eating a common deli sausage linked to a nationwide listeria outbreak is suing its manufacturer.
Sue Fleming, 88, who lives with her husband Patrick, 76, in High Ridge, Missouri, ate a Boar's Head liverwurst late last month after buying it from her local grocery store.
But in the days that followed she says she developed nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps, before suffering from shaking and whole-body aches.
She was rushed to hospital, where tests confirmed a listeria infection — according to the lawsuit. She spent nine days in intensive care and 11 in rehab, but claims she still suffers from neurological symptoms and is yet to regain her full strength.
Sue Fleming, 88, and her husband Patrick, 76, are suing deli meats manufacturer Boar's Head and the shop where they purchased the meat after Ms Fleming became 'deathly ill' from listeria
She had eaten a Boar's Head liverwurst in the day's before falling ill. This meat is now included in the multi-state recall for listeria contaminated products
The couple are now suing Boar's Head for more than $25,000 to cover medical and legal costs, and damage to 'enjoyment of life' and their marital relationship.
At least two people have died and 34 have been sickened in the multi-state listeria outbreak linked to Boar's Head deli meats — with the CDC saying others are likely infected.
The grocery store mainstay announced a recall of more than 100 tons — or 207,000lbs — of its meats across 13 states — including Illinois, New York and Missouri — at the end of last week.
It is not clear how the meat became contaminated, but the bacteria can persist on surfaces and get onto slicing tools and countertops without regular deep cleans — leading to it contaminating meats and causing an outbreak.
The lawsuit, filed in the St Louis County Circuit Court, states: 'Patrick Fleming has lost the love, services, consortium, comfort, instruction, guidance, counsel and support of his spouse.
'Sue Fleming continues to suffer from the effects of her infection, including an array of neurological symptoms, fatigue, and overall weakness.'
The married couple had regularly purchased Boar's Head deli meats for years and say they had not previously had an issue, the lawsuit says.
They are suing Boar's Head on nine counts, including negligence and breach of implied warrant, and have demanded a trial by jury.
The lawsuit also names Schnucks Market as a defendant, the shop where they purchased the meats.
Their attorney Ryan Osterholm, from OFT Food Safety and Injury Lawyers based in Minnesota, said: 'Unfortunately, we've seen this before with deli meats.
'[Listeria] gets in the facility, and if you're not doing deep cleans often enough, it sticks around. That's how listeria proliferates.
The couple say the illness, which Ms Fleming is yet to recover from, has taken the joy out of their life and damaged their marriage. They are pictured above holding a book the pair wrote on how to heal trauma from past abuse
'From there, it gets in the food and it makes people very sick. Then people get hospitalized, and sometimes — far too often — people die.'
Listeria — which kills about one in five of those it infects — is particularly dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions.
These individuals have weaker immune systems, meaning they may be less able to fight off an infection.
Symptoms can start a few days to 10 weeks after infection, and initially begin as fever, chills, stomach cramps and diarrhea.
But as the infection progresses patients can also suffer from convulsions, loss of balance and confusion.
The bacteria may prove fatal if it spreads into the blood and causes sepsis — where organs start to shut down — or infects nerves and the lining of the brain causing encephalitis — inflammation of the brain's lining.
Infections can be treated using antibiotics, which is given intravenously and can kill off the bacteria.
