LEWISTOWN — A recall of Boar’s Head meats has left some consumers concerned about the safety of their meat.

A local grocer, Giant Food, assured customers that all impacted products have been removed from store shelves, both in stores and online.

According to a news release from the grocery store chain, Giant has also discarded all other open deli meats and cheeses that could have been prepared in the same area as the contaminated meats.

Giant Food customers who purchased an impacted Boar’s Head product are advised to discard the meats and contact the store’s customer services for a full refund.

For safety purposes, the same precautions are advised for any other purchased in-store sliced or prepared deli product between late May and July 30.

The Sentinel reached out to various other grocers, delis and restaurants in the region, none of which reported carrying Boar’s Head. Patrons are reminded to contact their respective store of purchase if they believe they purchased affected products during this time frame.

The recall was put in effect following the testing of an unopened Boar’s Head liverwurst, which tested positive for the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

Since late May, 34 people have fallen ill across 13 states resulting in two deaths-patients in Illinois and New Jersey- and all but one hospitalized. There is a possibility of more unknown cases as it can take weeks for symptoms to develop, officials have said.

Between May 10 and July 29 a new recall was made including 71 products under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names including liverwurst, ham, beef salami, bologna, and other products made at the firm’s Jarratt, Virginia, plant.

This recall includes items intended to be sliced at delis as well as packaged meat and poultry products sold in store and follows a previous recall of more than 200,000 pounds of sliced deli poultry and meat.

The Center for Disease Control reported that interviews with sick people concluded that 23 of 24 people reported eating meats sliced at deli counters. Thirteen people reported eating sliced deli liverwurst while seven of those reported Boar’s Head brand.

Listeria is a type of bacteria which infects humans and other warm-blooded animals through contaminated food and results in death for one in six non-pregnant people affected, according to the CDC.

Listeria can cause intestinal illnesses, which are rarely diagnosed but last for one to three days, or invasive illnesses. Invasive Listeriosis occurs when Listeria has spread beyond the intestines, these symptoms typically start within two weeks of consuming contaminated food.

Listeria symptoms can be shown in a number of ways including fever, flu-like symptoms such as fatigue and muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, convulsions, and loss of balance.

The CDC reports there are an estimated 1,600 cases of Listeriosis each year, resulting in 206 deaths. Listeriosis is serious, however, it is both preventable and treatable.

Typically, Listeriosis is diagnosed when a bacterial culture grows Listeria from body tissue or fluid, including spinal fluid, blood, or the placenta.

After a diagnosis, antibiotics are prescribed for invasive Listeriosis while intestinal illnesses require extra fluids to be consumed.

The CDC recommends throwing away any recalled meats or contacting storefronts for a return as well as cleaning refrigerators that stored recalled meats and any containers/surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.

Businesses are encouraged to take extra precautions when cleaning and sanitizing and should follow the USDA-FSIS best practices for control, officials have said.

Call your healthcare provider if you’ve eaten deli sliced meats and now are experiencing Listeriosis symptoms.