CDC warns of Listeria outbreak linked to requesón/soft ricotta cheese

Key Points

• Eight people across three states (MD, NY, VA) have gotten sick from the same strain of Listeria. Seven of those people have been hospitalized and one person in MD has died.
• Certain soft cheeses made by Clover Hill Dairy sold in grocery stores and other retail locations have been recalled.
• The Maryland Department of Health has suspended Clover Hill Dairy's operating license and is conducting a follow up evaluation in cooperation with the facility.
• CDC and FDA are working to identify if any other products are linked to this outbreak.

What You Should Do

• Do not eat recalled requesón/soft ricotta cheese.
• If you are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system, do not eat recalled requesón/soft ricotta cheese.
  • Be aware that soft cheeses, even pasteurized ones, can be a riskier food choice. See CDC's advice for choosing safer foods.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the recalled cheese. Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.
• Call a healthcare provider right away if you have severe symptoms after eating recalled cheese.

What Businesses Should Do

• Do not sell or serve recalled requesón/soft ricotta cheese.
• Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have touched recalled cheese.

Listeria Symptoms:

• Listeria is especially harmful to pregnant women and people who are 65 or older or who have weakened immune systems. This is because Listeria is more likely to spread beyond their gut to other parts of their body, resulting in a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis.
• For pregnant women, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in newborns.
• For people who are 65 years or older or who have a weakened immune system, Listeria often results in hospitalization and sometimes death.
• Symptoms usually start within 2 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after.
  • Pregnant women: Fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. Your illness may be mild, but Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.
  • Other people may have: Headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state's health department.

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