One is dead and at least seven others are dangerously ill in an outbreak of listeria linked to "Hispanic-style cheese," The Associated Press reported.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the death took place in California and seven additional illnesses were in Maryland.
Listeria is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Symptoms include muscle pain, fever, diarrhea and gastroenteritis. The disease could also spread to the bloodstream and central nervous system.
Three babies are among those infected, while the other five were adults, including two women who had recently given birth, CNN reported. It is unclear if the death was one of the newborns.
All the people in Maryland who came down with dangerous bacteria had reported consuming soft or semi-soft Hispanic-style cheese that they purchased from different locations of the same grocery store chain. Listeria was later detected in a sample of cuajada en terron, or fresh cheese curd, purchased at that chain, the AP reported.
The agency said the cheese was likely produced by Roos Foods, a company based in Kenton, Del., and repackaged by the grocery store chain. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is warning people not to eat any cheeses produced by Roos Foods.
The illnesses were diagnosed between Aug. 1 and Nov.27, 2013.
