Man ‘may not survive’ after eating Boar’s Head deli meat believed to be contaminated, lawsuit says

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - A woman in Alabama filed a lawsuit on behalf of her son who’s currently hospitalized after allegedly eating Boar’s Head deli meat contaminated with listeria.

According to the complaint, a man bought Boar’s Head Bologna in late July from a grocery store.

Soon after eating it, he was hospitalized with fever, headaches, nausea, and other related symptoms, WBRC reported.

His condition worsened, according to the complaint, and he began to have drooping on one side of his face, and difficulty breathing to the point he needed to be placed on a ventilator.

He was transferred to another hospital and given a spinal tap on or about Aug. 7, which confirmed the presence of the deadly foodborne pathogen in his body.

This man’s condition is to a point where he is unable to communicate, “and it is currently unclear if he will survive,” the lawsuit stated.

The first Boar’s Head Provisions Co, Inc. recall was issued on July 26 after a sample of its liverwurst tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes in Maryland. The company recalled all liverwurst products and deli meats produced on the same line, including bologna.

The recall expanded to include 71 products on July 31. In total, more than 7 million pounds of deli meats and poultry products have been pulled from the shelves.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.

The Alabama Department of Public Health told WBRC it cannot confirm a listeria infection in Alabama linked to this outbreak at this time, and would not be able to comment on individual infections because of privacy concerns.