Outbreak linked to raw cheese grows; 9 cases total, one with kidney failure

An E. coli outbreak linked to unpasteurized cheese and milk from California-based Raw Farm has grown to nine confirmed cases across three states, with two additional illnesses identified this week, the FDA reported Thursday. Three patients required hospitalization and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a life-threatening kidney condition. Of eight patients interviewed, seven specifically reported consuming Raw Farm products—five ate the company's raw cheddar and two drank its raw milk—while whole genome sequencing showed the bacterial isolates had high similarity, indicating a common source. Raw Farm has refused to issue a recall despite the FDA's findings and continues to deny any link to the outbreak.