During the worst U.S. listeria outbreak in more than a decade, nine people have died and dozens more were hospitalized from deli meats traced to liverwurst sold by Boar’s Head.

The company acknowledged in mid-September that its plant in Jarratt, Va., was the source of the infections. Federal inspectors had documented repeated violations of health and sanitation regulations. The inspections records show that they found black mold, extensive rust, water dripping over meat and dead flies.

On Sept. 13, the company shut the plant down indefinitely, citing its noncompliance with inspection controls and saying it would make “no excuses.”

Listeria lingers in humans, and symptoms may not emerge until weeks after eating a contaminated food. Public health officials have issued more warnings to consumers to ensure they discard certain Boar’s Head lunch meats that may still be in their refrigerators.

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Here’s what you should know.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can be deadly. The largely food-borne Listeria illness can be contracted through foods like contaminated deli meats and unpasteurized milk products, according to the Mayo Clinic.

People may also fall ill by touching a listeria-laden surface before touching their mouths.

Federal public health experts said the Boar’s Head case was the worst listeria outbreak since 2011, when tainted cantaloupe killed 33 people and hospitalized at least 143.

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