An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to raw cheddar cheese from Raw Farm LLC is making more people sick.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, more than half of the nine patients are children under the age of five. Three of the patients required hospitalization and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can cause kidney failure, brain damage and death.
Seven of the eight people for whom epidemiological information was available reported eating Raw Farm brand cheddar cheese made from raw, unpasteurized milk. The eighth patient also said he ate raw milk cheddar cheese, but could not remember what brand it was. Pasteurization is a heating process that heats milk for 15 seconds to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria.
Whole-genome sequencing of the bacteria from the affected patients showed that they were all infected with the same strain of E. coli. This means they share a common source. The FDA reports that raw milk cheese produced by Raw Farm dairy products is the most likely source of the bacteria.
Seven of the sick people live in California, one each in Texas and Florida. The disease began in September 2025 with two patients identified. The remaining seven people developed the disease in 2026, and the most recent onset date was February 20.
The FDA asked dairies to recall raw milk cheddar cheese, but dairy owners refused.
FDA investigators are working with California officials to inspect dairy products.
