Dangerous Outbreak Linked to Raw Cheese: FDA Warns of Kidney Failure Risk

Raw dairy products from California-based Raw Farm have been linked to a growing E. coli outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported on Thursday. The outbreak has now sickened at least nine people across three states, with three requiring hospitalization and one developing the severe, life-threatening complication of Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure.

According to the FDA, investigators have interviewed eight of the nine people affected, and all eight reported consuming unpasteurized dairy products. While one person couldn't recall a specific brand, the remaining seven all identified Raw Farm as the source, with five having eaten the company's raw cheddar cheese and two having drank its raw milk. Genetic analysis of the E. coli samples from the patients shows a high degree of similarity, indicating a common source.