e-coli-o157:nm | The International Outbreak Museum

Outbreak: Sally Jackson Cheese
Product: Raw milk goat, sheep, & cow cheeses	Investigation Start Date: 12/06/2010
Location: Multi-state	Etiology: E. coli O157:NM
Earliest known case onset date: 09/09/2010	Latest case onset date: 11/26/2010
Confirmed Case Count: 8	Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 0 / 0
Hospitalizations: 2	Deaths: 0

Reproductions of Sally Jackson artisan cheeses. Goat cheeses were wrapped in grape leaves, while sheep and cow cheeses were wrapped in chestnut leaves. Both types of leaves were from the trees surrounding the facility.
Epi curve for the outbreak
Sally Jackson sheep cheese wheel and half-wheel, test for the investigation
Sally Jackson gourmet raw milk sheep, goat, and cow milk cheeses, ready to be aged.
Screenshot of the Sally Jackson website, detailing the animal herd-origin of their cheeses
Sally Jackson cheese production facility
Sally Jackson cheese half-wheel sample, tested positive for E. coli O157:H7
Screenshot of the Sally Jackson website, detailing the cheesemaker’s history

OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

Oddly, none of the cases in this outbreak ever recalled the cheese by the brand name, even after investigators deduced the brand of cheese and questioned the cases about it specifically. It was fortunate that investigators could make a compelling case with largely circumstantial evidence that was later bolstered … Continue Reading ››