CDC warns of listeria outbreak linked to ‘Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses’
Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheese, and one brand in particular, may be connected to a listeria outbreak in the U.S., said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday. And the agency is asking consumers to avoid this variety of cheese until it finishes investigating.
A food-safety alert was issued by the CDC for El Abuelito queso fresco cheese due to its connection to a listeria outbreak.
The day before the CDC warning, Connecticut Department of Public Health officials found listeria in samples of El Abuelito-brand queso fresco cheese at the same store where a person who became ill had purchased Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses, the CDC said. The Connecticut health department also put out a warning about the cheeses.
Health officials are working to confirm whether the listeria bacteria in the El Abuelito-brand queso fresco is the same one making people sick. A recall has not been activated.
Seven people across four states have become ill with listeria in this outbreak. New York, Virginia and Connecticut each have one patient while Maryland has four. All seven patients have been hospitalized, according to the CDC.
Apart from the El Abuelito-brand queso fresco cheese, the CDC is also urging consumers to avoid other Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses that do not have a “Made with pasteurized milk” label.
Listeria hits about 1,600 Americans each year, the CDC says, and kills about 260. The worst consequences usually hit senior citizens, children under 5 and people with damaged immune systems. Listeria can cause miscarriage and stillbirths in pregnant women. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headaches, confusion and poor balance.
People not in one of these groups are unlikely to become very sick, the CDC says.
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 7:57 PM.
