State health officials link Raw Farm cheese to multi-state bacterial outbreak
Seven people in three states sickened, two hospitalized
– The California Department of Public Health is advising consumers and businesses not to eat, serve, or sell Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese, which is linked to an ongoing multi-state outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.
As of March 13, seven individuals from three states have been infected with the outbreak strain, including five California residents. Four of the illnesses are in children under the age of 5. Two individuals have been hospitalized, including one from California. No deaths have been reported. No cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome — a severe complication of the bacterial infection that can cause organ failure and death — have been reported.
The state health department is working with local health departments, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and federal partners to investigate the outbreak. Interviews with people who became ill indicate that Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese is the likely source of the infections.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recommended a voluntary recall of the cheese. As of March 18, Raw Farm had not voluntarily removed the product from the market.
The state health department advises consumers not to eat Raw Farm brand block or shredded raw cheddar cheese while the investigation is ongoing, and businesses should not sell or serve it. Consumers and businesses should also wash and sanitize any items and surfaces that may have come into contact with the cheese.
The department states that choosing dairy products made with pasteurized milk is the best way to prevent illness from germs such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in raw dairy products.
Symptoms of infection may include diarrhea — often bloody — vomiting, and abdominal cramps, typically beginning three to four days after infection. Most people recover on their own within a week, but some may develop severe illness requiring hospital care. Young children are at the highest risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Consumers who become sick after eating Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese should contact a health care provider.
For updated outbreak information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention food safety alert and the Food and Drug Administration public health advisory pages. For more information about Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections and raw dairy safety, visit the California Department of Public Health website.
