The Oregon Health Authority is recalling queso fresco cheese that was illegally imported from Mexico after an infant became ill with listeriosis, the disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The cheese was sold at a Latino grocery store in Woodburn, Oregon.
Public health officials have started an investigation into the illness. The baby lives in Clackamas County. Queso fresco is a soft white cheese. It was sold unlabeled in plastic bags. Testing by the Oregon Department of Agriculture found the bacteria in several packages of the cheese.
If you purchased this cheese, do not eat it. If you ate some of the cheese, you must monitor yourself for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days. That’s how long it can take for symptoms of the illness to manifest. Symptoms include a flu-like illness, headache, fever, muscle aches, upset stomach, diarrhea, stiff neck, headache, loss of balance, confusion, or convulsions. Public health officials say that you should not purchase any cheese sold in unlabeled packages.
