More than 70 people have fallen ill in France after a cheese-linked Salmonella outbreak.
72 cases of salmonellosis have been linked to the consumption of Le Chasteau soft cheese produced by GAEC Defrisk in Cantal between early March and early August.
The Institut Pasteur and the French Public Health Agency identified cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhi infection with similar characteristics between late July and early August.
More than half of the cases have been confirmed in the Puy-de-Dôme, Corrèze and Creuse regions, while the others have been found recently in the regions of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Centre-Val-de-Loire, Pays de la Loire, Brittany, Grand Est and Occitanie.
Food questionnaires given to patients and follow-up surveys carried out at the points of purchase and consumption allowed us to identify the products involved.
Official inspections in Cantal led to the closure of the cheese factory on 23 July and the seizure of cheese on site. On 1 August samples confirmed that the cheese was contaminated with the outbreak strain.
The recall applies to all batches of GAEC Deflisque’s Le Chateau cheese and all best before dates sold after March 2024.
In France, 158 cases of Salmonella infection were confirmed in 2022, resulting in 975 cases and 165 hospitalizations. Milk and dairy products were linked to nine confirmed or suspected cases of Salmonella infection.
About Salmonella
Food contaminated with Salmonella usually does not look, smell, or taste bad. Anyone can get sick from Salmonella. According to the CDC, infants, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness because of their weakened immune systems.
Anyone who has eaten the recalled products and experiences symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning should seek medical attention. Special tests are required to diagnose Salmonellosis, so ill people should tell their doctor that they may have been exposed to Salmonella bacteria. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can mimic other illnesses, often leading to misdiagnosis.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever that appear within 12 to 72 hours of consuming contaminated food. Otherwise healthy adults usually become ill for four to seven days, although in some cases the diarrhea can become so severe that hospitalization is required.
Elderly people, children, pregnant women, cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe and sometimes life-threatening illness. Some people may be infected but not get sick or show symptoms. However, they can still spread the infection to others.
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