MACON, Ga. — When heading to the grocery store you typically grab the necessities like milk and bread. But some people in Central Georgia are avoiding the deli counter for now.
As a listeria outbreak spans across 12 states including Georgia, Gabriella Simmons says she has switched her Firehouse subs to ham & cheese melts.
"I would eat it like two to three times a week, and then I basically did that until the outbreak happened and then I was like 'Oh crap,'" Simmons said.
She is 22 weeks pregnant and says she often craved ham and cheese sandwiches, until now.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, two people in Georgia have gotten sick from eating deli meats that are infected with listeria.
The CDC says all 28 people infected were hospitalized and two people are dead.
The cases in this outbreak are linked to sliced deli meats, not pre-packaged meats.
It's rare that the average person gets infected, but it's more dangerous to contract if you're pregnant, age 65 and older or have a weakened immune system.
"I'm gonna be honest, it limited the meals I could bring to work," Simmons said.
Macon-Bibb Health Department's Michael Hokanson is advising people in high risk groups to avoid deli meat unless it's re-cooked at home.
"Make sure that you are cooking any deli meats to the appropriate temperature, you want to get up at least 165 degrees internal temperature for consuming," Hokanson said. "Refrigeration doesn't kill listeria. High temperatures is one of the ways that you can hopefully mitigate some of that risk factor."
Even though the foodborne illness hasn't infected anyone in Central Georgia, Simmons wants other expecting mothers to stay safe.
"Being pregnant for the first time, I definitely do think they should take precaution in it," Simmons said.
The CDC has not yet issued a recall because it's still unclear what specific foods or brands were contaminated by this bacteria-causing illness.