Raw Milk Cheese E. coli Outbreak Hospitalizes 8 Across Nine U.S. States

A multistate E. coli outbreak linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers raw milk cheese has sickened 13 people across nine U.S. states and sent eight of them to hospital, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Three patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can cause kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.

The outbreak involves E. coli O26:H11 and has been reported in California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah.

FDA says all nine people interviewed about what they ate before becoming ill reported consuming Sierra Nevada Graziers grass fed raw milk cheese.

The company has recalled all Graziers Raw Milk Cheese currently on the market, including medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack and jalapeno Jack sold in retail packages and larger foodservice formats.

The products were distributed nationwide and online, and FDA is telling consumers, restaurants, retailers and foodservice operators not to eat, sell or serve the recalled cheese.

The investigation remains active as regulators work to determine the source of contamination and whether any additional products may be affected.

The outbreak is commercially significant because the affected products have a long shelf life, meaning recalled cheese may remain in household refrigerators, freezers, restaurant inventories and retail channels well after the initial sale.