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WASHINGTON — Ten people, including two in Utah, have been sickened by E. coli in a multistate outbreak linked to raw milk cheese, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a food safety alert on Friday.
"Four people have been hospitalized and one person developed hemolytic uretic syndrome. This is a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. No deaths have been reported," the CDC said.
Six of the people infected said they ate RAW FARM brand raw cheddar cheese.
The CDC is investigating the outbreak and, in the meantime, has advised consumers not to eat RAW FARM brand raw cheddar cheese in original and jalapeño flavors. RAW FARM is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is recalling its products, the CDC said.
According to RAW FARM, the cheese is made from whole raw milk.
Raw milk is milk from cows or other animals that has not been pasteurized. Unpasteurized products can carry dangerous bacteria such as listeria, salmonella and E. coli, according to the CDC.
E. coli bacteria live in the intestines of people and animals. People who are exposed to the kind of E. coli known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can get cramps, bloody diarrhea and kidney failure. About 265,000 infections of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli occur in the U.S. every year.
