A listeria outbreak linked to cheese is reportedly responsible for the death of one person and the sickening of eight people, including three newborns, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Friday.
The Associated Press reported that the outbreak is linked to semi-soft, Latino-style cheese called Caujada en Terron and is produced by Roos Foods, a company based in Kenton, Delaware. The Hispanic-style cheese is made in Delaware and sold in Maryland. However, the CDC did not release which grocery chain is linked to the outbreak.
The product reportedly only affected people of Hispanic descent and living in California or Maryland. Among those infected were three babies and five adults, including two women who had recently given birth.
Seven of the eight were hospitalized. The age of the person who died was not given.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a warning, asking customers to avoid the products. The products affected also include cheese under the brand names Santa Rosa de Lima, Amigo, Mexicana, Suyapa, La Chapina, and La Purisima Crema Nica.
The illnesses date back to between Aug. 1 and Nov. 27, 2013. All chains involved in the outbreak are reportedly under investigation.
Listeria is an infection spread by the food-borne bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It spreads through the consumption of contaminated foods such as uncooked meats and vegetables, unpasteurized milk and cheeses.
Symptoms include fever and muscle aches and diarrhea. The infection is especially dangerous for babies, seniors and pregnant women.
