Public Health Officials Investigating Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis

Federal health officials say the people infected with one of the closely related Listeria strains have been reported since August 8, 2010. Twenty-one people were hospitalized.

Consumers should not eat, restaurants should not serve, and retailers should not sell the recalled cheeses.

The CDC said that five of the illnesses were in pregnant women, and one resulted in a fetal loss.

The CDC noted that its investigation of the outbreak is ongoing, and that the agency has not definitively confirmed that soft cheeses are the source of the illnesses.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now investigating a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis-a serious infection caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes-that’s linked to soft cheese.

According to the CDC, nearly two-thirds of those who became ill are of are of Middle Eastern or Eastern European descent or shopped at Middle Eastern-style markets. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: California (14), Colorado (1), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (1), New York (2), Ohio (1), Tennessee (1), and Washington (1). Most of those who fell ill reported eating Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Mediterranean, or Mexican-style cheeses.

Four of 7 patients who could name a brand reported eating cheese distributed by Karoun Dairies of San Fernando, Calif. No other brand was named more than once.

Five rare DNA fingerprints of Listeria are included in this investigation.

Although only these four were commercially available in Rhode Island, Rhode Islanders should still avoid all the other cheese products listed in the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory.

“Karoun Dairies was made aware of a possible association of their cheese products with several recent cases of listeriosis by FDA and CDC”, the company said in a statement. Affected brands are Karoun, Arz, Gopi, Queso Del Valle, Central Valley Creamery, and Yanni. Weights varied from 5 ounces to 30 pounds. Additional illnesses are under investigation.

“These products may be contaminated with Listeria and may make people sick”, the agency said.