A Listeria outbreak linked to Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese was the eleventh-largest multi-state food poisoning outbreak of 2013. It was also one of the two multi-state outbreaks of 2013 that included a fatality. Six people contracted listeriosis after eating the cheese, all of them were hospitalized. One person died, and one woman suffered a miscarriage.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the outbreak on July 3. Initial onset of illness dates ranged from May 20 to June 17. By state, the case count was as follows: Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Minnesota (2), Ohio (1), and Texas (1). The fatality occurred in Minnesota.
Local, state and federal public health investigators, including officials from the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), collaborated on the investigation. Together they 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, based in Waterloo, Wisconsin, issued a recall for those cheeses with “make” dates of July 1 and earlier. The company is not currently producing cheese.
Listeriosis is a rare but serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the Listeria bacteria. Those at highest risk are pregnant women and their newborns, senior and those with immune systems weakened by cancer, cancer treatments, HIV/AIDS or other serious conditions such as diabetes, kidney failure, liver disease.
Symptoms of listeriosis can take up to two months to develop. They include fever and muscle aches which are sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Treatment almost always requires hospitalization.
Check Food Poisoning Bulletin each day as we count down the largest multi-state food poisoning outbreaks of 2013. Coming tomorrow: #10.
