AZ Costco Cheese E. coli Outbreak Now at 15 Cases
The Arizona Costco cheese E. coli outbreak has expanded to 15 confirmed illnesses, along with 10 in Colorado, three in southern California, three in New Mexico and two in Nevada, according to the latest E. coli investigation update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The probe continues, but lab testing has confirmed a genetic match between E. coli 0157:H7 found in victims and in two opened packages of Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese taken from the homes of case patients. The packages were purchased at Costco and the cheese was made from raw milk, the CDC said. In addition, E. coli 0157:H7 has been detected in a previously unopened package of Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese sourced from a Costco store. Tests are pending to confirm if it is the outbreak strain.
As evidence mounts, public health investigators and experts hired by law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., may be able to tell exactly where in the chain of processing and distribution the pathogen was introduced. A leading suspect is raw milk, a germ carrier which CDC and FDA consider unsafe for human consumption. E. coli attorneys at Pritzker Olsen have brought raw milk E. coli lawsuits in the past and are in contact with victims of the current outbreak about a Bravo Farms Cheese lawsuit. To speak to an E. coli lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. Pritzker Olsen is a leading national practitioner of foodborne illness litigation that has won millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning.
Meanwhile, Bravo Farms has recalled the affected Gouda raw milk cheese and the CDC has issued an alert to consumers and health professionals about the outbreak. The product in question was sold and sampled at Costco stores from October 5 through November 1. The CDC said Costco is continuing to cooperate and assist in the investigation.
Tags: Colorado E. coli, E. coli Outbreak
