Listeria Outbreak Linked to Queso and Cotija Cheese
A deadly Listeria outbreak linked to queso fresco, cotija, and other cheeses made by Rizo-López Foods of Modesto, CA has sickened 26 people killing two of them. One woman suffered the loss of her pregnancy.
Because two women gave birth to newborns infected with Listeria, the age range for patients is less than one year old to 88 years old. Illnesses were from 11 states – AZ (4), CA (8), CO (4), Fl (1), GA (1), NC (1), NV (1), OR (1), TN (2), Texas (2), and WA (1).
The illnesses in this outbreak occurred over nine years- from June 15, 2014 to December 10, 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched two previous investigations of these illnesses, one in 2017 and one in 2021. In each investigation, queso fresco and similar cheeses were identified as the likely source but a specific brand could not be identified.
Queso, Cotija Listeria Recall
On January 11, 2024, Rizo Lopez issued a recall for 344 cases of Aged Cotija Mexican Grating Cheese after the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Food and Drug Branch detected Listeria in the finished product during routine sampling.
That recall was expanded on February 6 to include all of the company’s dairy products after whole genome sequencing tests revealed that the Listeria strain found in the cotija cheese, and in a swab from the company’s manufacturing facility are matches to the outbreak strain cultured from patients.
Symptoms of a Listeria Infection
Symptoms of a Listeria infection include:
- High fever, stiff neck, and other muscle aches
- Severe headache, loss of balance, confusion, and convulsions
- Upset stomach or diarrhea
Usually, these symptoms appear within 24 hours of exposure but sometimes they can take as long as 70 days to appear. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or the premature delivery of an infected newborn.
Listeria poses a heightened risk to people 65 and over and those who have weakened immune systems. Pregnant women are 20 times more likely than other people to contract Listeria infections.
Experienced Listeria Lawyers
If you developed a Listeria infection from contaminated cheese and would like to discuss your legal options, please contact our Listeria lawyers. Our Food Safety Team has more experience handling Listeria lawsuits than any other law firm in the country securing some of the largest Listeria settlements in U.S. history including a recent award of $6.4 million.
You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.