Raw milk cheese recall linked to 13 E. coli illnesses

Federal health officials have linked a multistate E. coli outbreak to four varieties of Sierra Nevada Graziers grassfed raw milk cheese, with 13 illnesses and eight hospitalizations reported as of September 25. Three patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can cause kidney failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No deaths have been reported. Sierra Nevada Cheese Company voluntarily recalled its medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack and Monterey jack cheeses. The products were sold in 8-ounce and 16-ounce retail packages and in 5-pound loaves for food-service customers and wholesalers. The company agreed to recall all four varieties after the Food and Drug Administration recommended a recall on September 24, according to the agency’s account. The illnesses have been reported in California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. California and Nevada each had three cases, while each of the other states had one, according to federal outbreak information. Patients became ill between July 7 and August 26, and more than half were children aged 5 or younger, the CDC reported.