Washington health officials investigate tragic Listeria outbreak

According to KIROTV soft cheese has been linked to three cases of listeriosis, including a death.

State health and agriculture officials are looking into an ongoing outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to consumption of Latin-style soft cheese produced by Queseria Bendita, a Yakima, Washington, firm.cheese

According to a news release, a total of three cases have been identified from Washington in King, Pierce and Yakima counties as of Jan. 16.

One illness was pregnancy-associated, two people were hospitalized, and one death was reported. Queseria Bendita has stopped producing cheese.

Health officials are warning consumers who may have purchased three Queseria Bendita brand cheeses — Queso Fresco, Panela and Requeson — and still have it in their refrigerators to throw the product away and not eat it.  

 

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About Ben Chapman

Dr. Ben Chapman is a professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University. As a teenager, a Saturday afternoon viewing of the classic cable movie, Outbreak, sparked his interest in pathogens and public health. With the goal of less foodborne illness, his group designs, implements, and evaluates food safety strategies, messages, and media from farm-to-fork. Through reality-based research, Chapman investigates behaviors and creates interventions aimed at amateur and professional food handlers, managers, and organizational decision-makers; the gate keepers of safe food. Ben co-hosts a biweekly podcast called Food Safety Talk and tries to further engage folks online through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and, maybe not surprisingly, Pinterest. Follow on Twitter @benjaminchapman.