The Raw Farm raw Cheddar E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has now sickened at least 11 people in five states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Raw Farm voluntarily recalled their cheese on February 19, 2024 but has since withdrawn that recall. The FDA and CDC continue to recommend that people not eat the cheese because epidemiological evidence indicates that, “Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese is making people in this outbreak sick.”
In interviews with public health officials, 7 of 9 people interviewed, or 75%, said they ate Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese before they got sick. This percentage is significantly higher than the 4.9% of respondents who reported eating any raw milk cheese in the FoodNet Population Survey.
In addition, whole genome sequencing showed that bacteria from all patient samples are closely related genetically. This indicates that the people in this outbreak got sick from eating the same food. E. coli infections can also be spread person-to-person.
Officials in California, Colorado, and Utah collected Raw Farm products including raw milk, raw Cheddar, raw kefir, and raw butter. No samples have detected E. coli. More testing is ongoing.
The patient case count by state is: California (4), Colorado (3), New Jersey (1), Texas (1), and Utah (2). The new patient lives in New Jersey. There is one more hospitalization and one more case of hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, reported since the last update on February 16, 2024.
The patient age range is from 2 to 75 years. And the hospitalization rate for this outbreak is 45%. The true number of patients is likely much higher, since many people do not see a doctor and are not counted. And it can take up to a month to determine if an ill person is part of an outbreak.
Symptoms of an E. coli O157:H7 infection include a mild fever, nausea and vomiting, and severe stomach and abdominal pain and cramps along with bloody diarrhea. Symptoms of HUS include little or no urine output, easy bruising, pallor, lethargy, and bleeding from the nose and mouth.
If you ate this cheese and have been experiencing these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this Raw Farm raw Cheddar E. coli O157:H7 outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with an E. coli O157:H7 food poisoning infection after eating Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
