9 sickened in E. coli outbreak tied to raw milk and cheese
AP News • • business
Key Points:
- Nine people, including children, have fallen ill in an E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk and cheddar cheese from Raw Farm in Fresno, California, with seven cases in California and others in Texas and Florida.
- Over half of those sickened are children under five, with three hospitalizations and one severe kidney infection reported, but no deaths so far.
- The outbreak spans illnesses confirmed from September to mid-February, with genetic testing showing the E. coli strains are closely related, pointing to a common source.
- Despite FDA advice to recall Raw Farm's raw milk cheddar cheese, the company has refused, and no products have tested positive for E. coli to date; the FDA is being urged to enforce a mandatory recall.
- Health officials recommend consumers avoid Raw Farm cheese while investigations continue, amid rising raw milk consumption influenced by social media and advocacy movements.
