Friday, March 28, 2014

Homemade Mexican-style cheese results in numerous cases of salmonellosis

There appears to be a Salmonella outbreak in Illinois from what we would call 'homemade'  or 'black market' Mexican-style cheese.   The cheese is unlabeled and is sold in the untraditional channels...aka street vendors, workplace associates, back streets, etc....

You know the commercial......
Don't buy unlabeled cheese from a back alley vendor named Al  and wind up praying for death while lying on cold bathroom floor tile. 

 
Chicago Sun-Times
http://www.suntimes.com/news/26480179-418/health-officials-salmonella-linked-to-unlabeled-mexican-style-cheese.html
Health officials: Salmonella linked to unlabeled Mexican-style cheese
BY JORDAN OWEN Staff Reporter March 27, 2014 3:26PM



Updated: March 27, 2014 3:32PM

The Illinois Department of Public Health issued a warning Thursday, saying 100 people have contracted salmonella linked to illegally manufactured Mexican-style cheeses.

Health departments in Cook, DuPage, Boone, Fayette, Kane, Lake, LaSalle, Macon, Marion, McHenry, Vermillion, Washington and Will counties have reported about 100 cases of salmonella believed to be associated with the cheese since July 2012, according to a statement from the department.

IDPH is working to identify the manufacturer of the contaminated cheese, according to the department.

Many cases have reported consuming Mexican-style cheese obtained from worksites, including factories, and at train stations, from street vendors and from relatives and friends, the department said. The cheese is not labeled and is often wrapped in aluminum foil.

“It is important for you to check the labeling to make sure the product was made by a licensed dairy manufacturer — even if you purchased the cheese from a grocery store,” IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck said.

Most people who contract salmonella can recover on their own within five days, but the infection can be more serious in young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, according to the department.

No comments:

Post a Comment