Outbreak linked to raw cheese grows; 9 cases total, one with kidney failure
arstechnica.com • • business
Key Points:
- The FDA reported two additional illnesses in an E. coli outbreak linked to unpasteurized cheese and milk from California-based Raw Farm, bringing the total to nine cases across three states, with three hospitalizations and one life-threatening complication (HUS).
- Seven of eight interviewed patients confirmed consuming Raw Farm products, including raw cheddar and raw milk, with whole genome sequencing indicating a common source of infection.
- The outbreak primarily affects young children under five, who are especially vulnerable to severe complications from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), which can cause kidney failure through Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
- Raw Farm, known for opposing pasteurization, denies any link to the outbreak and refuses to recall products, despite FDA findings and past associations with multiple outbreaks and recalls.
- Food safety experts emphasize that negative pathogen test results in samples do not guarantee product safety due to the difficulty in detecting low-level contamination and uneven distribution of bacteria in food batches.
