Health officials have linked a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis to eating Les Frères cheese made by Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Company, a Wisconsin producer, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
To date, two people in Minnesota have become ill, one of whom died. Both were older adults and hospitalized in early June.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is testing samples of the cheese and early results indicate presence of Listeria, bacteria that causes listeriosis food poisoning, an infection that often leads to meningitis, sepsis and wrongful death.
Minnesota health officials are warning consumers who may have purchased these cheeses: Les Frères, Petit Frère, Petit Frère with Truffles and still have it in their refrigerators to not eat it until more information becomes available from the investigation. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has advised grocery stores and distributors to pull and not sell the products until further information is available.
The incubation period for Listeria can be from 3 to 70 days. Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn.
Listeria Outbreak Help: Attorney Fred Pritzker and his Bad Bug Law Team represent clients in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against food manufacturers responsible for Listeria food poisoning outbreaks. Pritzker has a national practice. His offices are in Minneapolis, MN.
