The Listeria outbreak linked to pasteurized cheese from Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Company in Wisconsin has ended after sickening six people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One person died and one woman suffered a miscarriage.
The outbreak was announced July 3. Onset of illness dates ranged from May 20 to June 17. All six of those sickened were hospitalized. By state, the case count was as follows: Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Minnesota (2), Ohio (1), and Texas (1). The fatality was in Minnesota.
A joint investigation by local, state and federal public health investigators including the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established a link between the illnesses and three cheeses made by Crave Brothers: Les Frères, Petit Frère, and Petit Frère with Truffles. On July 3, Crave Brothers of Waterloo, Wisconsin issued a recall for those cheeses with “make” dates of July 1 and earlier.
As of September 24, Crave Brothers is not in production. The FDA and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture are reviewing the firm’s corrective actions before the company will be authorized to resume cheese production.
