WASHINGTON (WOWO) — Federal health officials are warning consumers not to eat several Sierra Nevada Graziers raw milk cheeses after a multistate E. coli outbreak has sickened 13 people and hospitalized eight.
The Food and Drug Administration says the outbreak involves E. coli O26:H11 infections linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese. The investigation is being conducted by the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health officials.
Three people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially serious complication of E. coli infection. No deaths have been reported.
The illnesses have been reported in nine states: California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah. The most recent reported illness began August 26.
The FDA says the affected cheese was distributed nationwide, including through retailers, wholesalers and food-service customers.
Sierra Nevada Cheese Company, LLC voluntarily recalled all Graziers raw milk cheeses after being contacted by the FDA on September 24.
The recalled retail products include Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack and Monterey jack. The cheeses were sold in eight-ounce and 16-ounce packages. The products were also distributed to food-service customers and wholesalers in five-pound loaves.
The FDA says consumers should not eat, sell or serve any of the recalled cheeses.
Health officials say the investigation was prompted by illnesses occurring across multiple states. Investigators interviewed nine people who became sick, and all nine reported eating Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese during the week before they became ill.
The FDA says that information provides a link between the illnesses and the recalled products, but the agency’s investigation remains underway.
Officials are still working to determine where contamination occurred and whether additional products could be involved.
The FDA is urging consumers to check refrigerators and freezers because the recalled cheese has a long shelf life.
Anyone who has the recalled cheese should throw it away or return it to the place where it was purchased for a refund. Consumers who stored the cheese without its original packaging and cannot determine whether it is part of the recall are also being told to throw it away.
The FDA is also advising consumers, restaurants, retailers and food-service businesses to thoroughly clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that came into contact with the cheese. The agency says that step is important to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
E. coli symptoms can develop within a few days of consuming contaminated food, but the FDA says symptoms can take as long as nine days to appear.
Common symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting.
Some E. coli infections can become severe. In particular, hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, can lead to kidney failure and other serious health complications.
The FDA says anyone who ate the recalled cheese and develops symptoms consistent with an E. coli infection should contact a health-care provider.
The agency is continuing to work with the CDC and state and local health departments to investigate the outbreak.
The current case count stands at 13 illnesses, eight hospitalizations, three HUS cases and no deaths. The affected products were distributed nationwide.
The FDA’s investigation remains ongoing, and officials say additional information could lead to further action or additional products being added to the recall.
