Current:Home > reviewsDeadly decade-long listeria outbreak linked to cojita and queso fresco from a California business -ProfitPioneers Hub
Deadly decade-long listeria outbreak linked to cojita and queso fresco from a California business
View
Date:2025-04-18 05:32:31
A California cheese and dairy company is the source of a decade-long outbreak of listeria food poisoning that killed two people and sickened more than two dozen, federal health officials said Tuesday.
New lab and inspection evidence linked soft cheeses and other dairy products made by Rizo-Lopez Foods of Modesto, California, to the outbreak, which was first detected in June 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Since then, at least 26 people in 11 states have been sickened. They include a person who died in California in 2017 and one who died in Texas in 2020, CDC officials said.
On Monday, the company recalled more than 60 soft cheeses, yogurt and sour cream sold under the brands Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Rio Grande, Food City, El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas, and 365 Whole Foods Market.
The CDC previously investigated cases of food poisoning tied to queso fresco and other similar types of cheese in 2017 and 2021, but there was not enough evidence to identify a source.
New illnesses were reported in December, prompting CDC to reopen the investigation. The strain of listeria linked to the outbreak was found in a cheese sample from Rizo-Lopez Foods. Federal officials confirmed that queso fresco and cojita made by the company were making people sick.
The recalled products were distributed nationwide at stores and retail deli counters, including El Super, Cardenas Market, Northgate Gonzalez, Superior Groceries, El Rancho, Vallarta, Food City, La Michoacana, and Numero Uno Markets.
Listeria infections can cause serious illness and, in rare cases, death. People who are pregnant, older than 65 or have weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable. Symptoms — like muscle aches, fever and tiredness — usually start within two weeks after eating contaminated foods, but can start earlier or later.
The CDC said consumers who have these products should discard them and thoroughly clean the refrigerator, counters and other contact sites. Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and easily contaminate other foods and surfaces.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (7729)
Related
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Katy Perry Weighs In on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Hard Launch
- Few Republicans have confidence in elections. It’s a long road for one group trying to change that
- Pregnant Jana Kramer Hospitalized During Babymoon With Bacterial Infection in Her Kidneys
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Exonerated in 2022, men sue New Orleans over prosecution in which killer cop Len Davis played a role
- Child rights advocates ask why state left slain 5-year-old Kansas girl in a clearly unstable home
- Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ dances to No. 1 at the box office, eyeing ‘Joker’ film record
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Many frustrated Argentines pinning hopes on firebrand populist Javier Milei in presidential race
Ranking
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Russia waging major new offensive in eastern Ukraine, biggest since last winter
- He’s a survivor: A mother fights for son kidnapped by Hamas militants
- Buffalo Bills hang on -- barely -- in a 14-9 win over the New York Giants
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- 3 people wounded in shooting at Georgia Waffle House, sheriff’s officials say
- Child rights advocates ask why state left slain 5-year-old Kansas girl in a clearly unstable home
- Powerful earthquake shakes west Afghanistan a week after devastating quakes hit same region
Recommendation
Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
Gaza’s desperate civilians search for food, water and safety, as warnings of Israeli offensive mount
Lawyers and judge hash out juror questions for Powell and Chesebro trial in Georgia election case
1-year-old child among 3 killed when commercial building explodes in southwest Kansas
Meet 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao, the youngest Olympian competing in Paris
Wildfire smoke leaves harmful gases in floors and walls. Research shows air purifiers don't stop it — but here's how to clean up
As war grows, those who want peace for Israelis and Palestinians face harrowing test
See Lisa Rinna's Horrifying Return to TV After Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Exit