E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Raw Cheddar Cheese

Key points

Investigation status: Open
Recall issued: No

CDC, FDA, and public health officials in three states are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to raw cheddar cheese sold by Raw Farm, LLC. Over half of the illnesses are in children under the age of 5. While the investigation is ongoing, if you have any of these affected cheeses in your home, consider not eating them.

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Fast Facts

  • Cases: 7
  • Hospitalizations: 2
  • Deaths: 0
  • States: 3
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Affected food

Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese

  • Flavors include original cheddar cheese
    • All sizes of block and shredded cheese packages
Raw Farm cheddar cheese block
Raw cheddar cheese
cheddar cheese blocks
Raw Farm Shredded Cheese
Raw cheddar cheese
shredded cheese

What you should do

  • Consider not eating any affected cheese, while this investigation is ongoing.
  • Consider washing items and surfaces that may have touched the affected cheese using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

Seek care for these symptoms

  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
  • Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
  • Signs of dehydration, such as:
    • Not peeing much
    • Dry mouth and throat
    • Feeling dizzy when standing up

Symptoms of E. coli

  • Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
    • Symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after swallowing the bacteria.
    • Most people recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days.
  • Some people may develop serious kidney problems (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and would need to be hospitalized.
Keep Reading For more information about E. coli, see the E. coli Questions and Answers page.

See also

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)