Federal health officials are investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheese that has sickened 13 people across nine states, more than half of them children age 5 or younger, with three developing a severe kidney complication.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said eight of the 13 confirmed patients have been hospitalized and three have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure and is most dangerous in young children. No deaths have been reported. Cases have been identified in California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah.
Cheddar, jack and jalapeño varieties recalled
The Food and Drug Administration traced the outbreak, caused by the E. coli O26:H11 strain, to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese, sold in 8-ounce and 16-ounce retail packages as well as 5-pound wholesale loaves. All nine patients interviewed by investigators reported eating the cheese before falling ill. The FDA contacted Sierra Nevada Cheese Company on September 24, and the company issued a recall the same day covering its medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack and Monterey jack varieties.
The company said in a statement reported by Good Morning America that confirmed illnesses had so far been associated with its medium cheddar product but that it was recalling the full line "out of an abundance of caution." Symptoms of E. coli infection, which typically appear two to nine days after exposure, include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that is sometimes bloody, and vomiting; the CDC advised anyone with diarrhea lasting more than two days or accompanied by a fever above 102 degrees to seek medical care right away.
Health officials urged consumers who bought any Sierra Nevada Graziers raw milk cheese to throw it away or return it rather than eating it, and to sanitize refrigerators, containers and surfaces that may have come in contact with the product. The agency reiterated its longstanding recommendation that young children, pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems avoid raw milk and raw milk cheeses altogether in favor of pasteurized versions, since unpasteurized dairy carries a higher risk of carrying harmful bacteria. The investigation remains open, and the FDA said it was continuing to trace distribution of the recalled cheese to identify any additional retailers.
