JARRATT, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A meat processing plant in Virginia has been shut down after it was linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak.
Boar’s Head announced on Friday that it has closed the plant in Jarratt, which was one of the town’s main employers.
WTVR reports the plant stopped production in July and this decision will displace the hundreds of people who work there.
The facility was linked to the deaths of at least nine people and hospitalizations of about 50 others in 18 states due to Listeria contamination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the first reports of illnesses associated with deli meats came in in May and continue until August.
Boar’s Head says the facility will be closed indefinitely.
Previous reports have covered how the facility repeatedly violated federal regulations, including inspectors logging 69 instances of “noncompliance” in the past year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a listeria outbreak in 12 states, including Virginia, and reports there have also been two deaths associated with this outbreak, in Illinois and New Jersey.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the main product being recalled is liverwurst that was produced at a Jarratt, Virginia facility.
On Tuesday, the company announced it was recalling another seven million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nine more people have gotten sick, bringing the total to 43.
Gunter Garshon Morgentstein was the third person to die since the recall was issued in July.
A deadly food poisoning outbreak has led to the recall of more than 7 million pounds of popular Boar’s Head deli meats made at a plant in Virginia. U.S. health officials are investigating the outbreak. Nine people have died and about 50 have been hospitalized since May. Listeria bacteria are hardy and can survive and grow even during refrigeration. Cooking foods until they're steaming hot can kill the bacteria, but deli meats are usually eaten cold. Many of the meats recalled by Boar’s Head are meant to be sliced at grocery store deli counters, though some prepackaged meats are included.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports this is now the largest listeriosis outbreak in the country since a 2011 incident that was linked to cantaloupe.
Records show that a Boar's Head deli meat plant in Virginia tied to a deadly food poisoning outbreak repeatedly violated federal regulations. Inspectors found meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. They also found mold, insects and liquid dripping from ceilings. The plant in Jarratt, south of Richmond, has been tied to at least nine deaths and about 50 hospitalizations caused by listeria infections linked to tainted Boar's Head products. Food safety experts say the conditions described in the inspection reports could allow listeria to thrive. Boar's Head officials did not respond to AP's requests for comment.
