Officials investigating a deadly outbreak in Austria have found Listeria at the company thought to be responsible.
Listeria isolates with the same genetic fingerprint as the outbreak strain were detected in three environmental samples from the firm in Lower Austria.
Käserei Gloggnitz previously recalled all kajmak, drinking yogurt and cream cheese products because of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Kajmak is a type of cheese.
The Listeria strain behind the incident does not match any of those in the AGES Listeria database, which contains more than 15,000 sequences of human, food and environmental isolates.
Cluster analyzes by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) found eight infections occurred since 2020 because of an identical Listeria strain. Three people died between 2020 and 2022.
Illnesses occurred in Vienna. The patients are five women and three men aged between 29 and 82 years old.
The outbreak strain has also been detected in a food product from the suspected company. This food was served in a restaurant mentioned when the sick people were interviewed.
The Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) had asked AGES to investigate the outbreak.
FoodWorld 