Two deaths, massive cheese recall... What we know about the probable listeriosis contamination

Health authorities have announced that they have identified 21 cases of listeriosis , a disease that has caused the death of two people, according to a press release from Public Health France, published on Tuesday, August 12.

The investigations "led to the identification, at the beginning of August, of convergent epidemiological and microbiological elements" between the different cases of listeriosis. The 21 infected people were between 34 and 95 years old, while, among the two victims, one had "underlying pathologies."

Although the source of contamination has not yet been identified, Santé Publique France has established a "possible link" with the consumption of cheese , based on the timing of the events and the identification of the germ.

Several dozen varieties of products from the Chavegrand cheese dairy in Maison-Feyne, Creuse, have been recalled.

"People who possess these products are asked not to consume them," the government warned.

In June, the same company had carried out recalls of its production due to suspected listeria, and in mid-July, health authorities issued a new alert.

The cheese factory then recalled all of its products manufactured before June 1st. The company explains that all of the affected products were produced on a previous production line that was shut down last June. In total, 105 products were recalled, including Brie, Camembert, and Gorgonzola cheeses sold in supermarkets.

"We have increased the number of analyses on products and equipment by a factor of 100 to ensure there are no contaminants. All our employees, who have been working very hard since June, are stunned by this news," adds Chavegrand's statement, which describes it as an "extremely rare" case.

Listeriosis, caused by Listeria monocytogenes, is the second leading cause of death from food poisoning, with several dozen deaths per year in France.

This infection poses a major risk to newborns, immunocompromised people, the elderly, and especially pregnant women, who are 17 times more likely to develop it than the general population following exposure. It "can cause abortion, premature delivery, or serious neonatal infection," says the Pasteur Institute .

Listeria bacteria are ubiquitous, found in soil, the feces of some animals, and the biliary tract of some humans. Ninety-nine percent of listeria infections are foodborne, says Dr. Aurel Guedj, a health consultant for BFMTV.

This bacterium is resistant to low temperatures, including refrigerator temperatures, explains Professor Imad Kansau, an infectious disease specialist at the Antoine-Béclère Hospital in Clamart. "If someone thinks they have consumed an infected food, they may experience fever, headaches, and flu-like and digestive symptoms." Its incubation period can be up to eight weeks.

"Outbreaks, which are rare and small today, have been caused by dairy products, meat products, processed fish, and fresh and frozen vegetables," notes the Pasteur Institute. 400 to 500 cases of listeriosis are detected each year in France.