A listeria outbreak linked to cheese from a Maryland dairy has killed one person and sent ten others to hospitals across four states, including New York, according to ForumDaily, a Russian-language New York outlet citing SILive. On June 18, Clover Hill Dairy expanded its recall to cover all cheese produced at its Mechanicsville, Maryland facility.
Twelve cases have been recorded in Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Virginia, with samples collected from patients between March 6, 2023, and June 2, 2026, per ForumDaily.
The recalled products include requeson, cuajada, and various hard cheeses. The FDA has warned that the cheese may have been sold under several brand names: Kesso, Quesos La Ricura, Izalco, De Mi Pueblo, and Rio Lindo. Shoppers can identify Clover Hill Dairy products by the manufacturer permit number “24-128” printed on the plastic clamshell containers, according to ForumDaily.
The products were distributed to retail stores, farmers markets, and third-party distributors across Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., per ForumDaily.
The contamination was traced after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of requeson purchased at a local store. Maryland authorities confirmed the same strain in six product samples and one environmental sample collected at the Mechanicsville facility, according to ForumDaily.
The FDA and CDC are advising consumers, restaurants, and retailers to stop eating, serving, or selling the recalled products. Any surfaces or containers that came into contact with the cheese should be disinfected, since listeria can survive refrigerator temperatures and spread to nearby surfaces.
High-risk groups include pregnant women, newborns, people 65 and older, and those with weakened immune systems. Listeria infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature labor. Symptoms can appear from the same day to ten weeks after exposure and include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea. Severe cases can cause stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures, per ForumDaily. The FDA recommends seeking medical attention if any symptoms develop.
