Pregnant MN woman sues Boar's Head after she contracts listeria

MN woman sues over listeria outbreak in deli meat

A pregnant woman from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, is suing Boar’s Head Provisions Inc. over a listeria monocytogenes infection she said came from the company’s contaminated products.

COON RAPIDS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A pregnant woman from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, is suing Boar’s Head Provisions Inc. over a listeria monocytogenes infection she said came from the company’s contaminated products.

Lawsuit allegations

The lawsuit claims the woman, Ashley Solberg, nearly lost her unborn child because of an infection that came from eating Boar's Head sliced ham and turkey from a Publix store in Hollywood, Florida. Solberg was 35 weeks pregnant with her second child and was on vacation at the time.

She then felt ill when she returned to Minnesota, suffering from symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, chills, headaches and body aches. A doctor later confirmed that she contracted a listeriosis infection, the lawsuit claims.

A test result from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) then confirmed that it was the same unique strain from the Boar's Head outbreak.

Solberg then stayed in the hospital for six days for "intensive antibiotic treatment in an effort to keep the infection from killing her child", according to the complaint. She then continued a course of IV antibiotics for another eight days after leaving the hospital.

The lawsuit states Solberg is still concerned about the lasting impact the infection could have on her unborn child and that she is seeking damages in excess of $75,000.

Outbreak background

A total of three deaths have been linked to the outbreak so far, while 43 people have gotten sick.

Another woman from New York also filed a lawsuit, though she was reportedly not sickened by the product.

The company started the recall in late July before it expanded to include more than 7 million pounds of deli meat.

The civil complaint also references 34 people from 13 states who contracted the unique strain of listeria monocytogenes as of July 31, 2024.

Those products are all processed at the company plant in Jarratt, Virginia.

CDC officials say pregnant women, as well as people over 65 and people with weakened immune systems, should avoid eating deli meats or should heat them before consumption.

FOX 9 reached out to Boar’s Head for a response and will update this story if one is received.