AZ Costco Gouda Cheese E. coli Update
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed a link between the Costco Cheese E. coli outbreak and Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese made from raw milk. The latest CDC update on the Costco Gouda Cheese E. coli outbreak issues a warning to consumers and physicians in Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada and New Mexico.
Costco customers from these states who have any of this cheese should not eat it and health care professionals should be aware of this outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 when treating people with bloody diarrhea and other symptoms of E. coli infection. To date, 37 persons infected with this rare strain of E.coli O157:H7 have been confirmed, the CDC said. The number of ill persons identified in each state with this strain is as follows: AZ (19), CA (3), CO (10), NM (3) and NV (2). Dates of illness onset range from October 16, 2010 through October 27, 2010. Patients range in age from 1 to 85 years and the median age is 16 years. There have been 15 reported hospitalizations, 1 case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths.
Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda cheese was one of several cheeses offered for sampling and sale at the “cheese road show” that was held at Costco Warehouses between October 5 and November 1 in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada. This cheese (Costco Item 40654) is manufactured by Bravo Farms of Traver California.
Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has been in contact with victims of this outbreak and is continuing to accept cases from families and individuals affected by it. The firm has established a Costco cheese E. coli claims center where people can receive advice and free case consultations from an E. coli lawyer by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page or calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free).
PritzkerOlsen is a leading national practitioner of foodborne illness litigation, involved in practically every major outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 and other outbreaks of food poisoning. The firm is actively involved in efforts to elminate dangerous pathogens from the U.S. food supply and has collected millions of dollars for victims.
