One Person Dead, 8 Sickened in Listeria Outbreak — Linked to Soft Ricotta Cheese

The short version: The FDA and CDC are jointly investigating a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to requeson — a type of soft white cheese similar to ricotta that is popular in Latin American cooking. The outbreak has been going on for at least three years, with confirmed cases stretching back to March 2023. Eight people are confirmed sick. Seven were hospitalized. One person has died. On June 3, 2026, Clover Hill Dairy, LLC issued a voluntary recall of its requeson and soft ricotta products. Maryland has since suspended the company’s operating license.

What Happened — The Outbreak, the Scale, the Timeline

The investigation began in May 2026 when two members of the same family in Brentwood, New York were both diagnosed with Listeria monocytogenes infection. The Suffolk County Health Department investigated and notified the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets. The state health department confirmed that both individuals had eaten requeson cheese purchased from a local retailer.

Investigators then used whole genome sequencing — a technique that maps the DNA fingerprint of bacteria — to look for other cases that matched. What they found was alarming: the outbreak strain had been circulating for at least three years. Sick people’s samples matched cases going back to March 6, 2023.

By the time the recall was issued on June 3, 2026, the outbreak count stood at eight confirmed cases across three states — New York, Maryland, and Virginia — with seven hospitalizations and one death. The Maryland Department of Health suspended Clover Hill Dairy’s operating license and issued a consumer advisory.

What Is Listeria and Why Is It Dangerous

Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria that can grow in refrigerated and even frozen foods, which makes it particularly dangerous. Unlike many foodborne pathogens, it does not need warm temperatures to multiply. It can survive inside refrigerators set to normal temperatures, and it can survive for months in the environment of a food manufacturing facility.

Most healthy adults who are exposed to Listeria will experience symptoms similar to a bad stomach flu: fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea. These symptoms usually appear within one to four weeks of eating contaminated food — sometimes longer. The long incubation period is part of why Listeria outbreaks are so hard to trace.

But for certain groups, Listeria is not just an unpleasant illness. It can be fatal.

• Pregnant women — Listeria infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in the newborn. The CDC estimates that pregnant people are about 10 times more likely than the general population to get Listeria.
• Adults 65 and older — the immune system weakens with age, making it harder to fight the infection before it spreads.
• People with weakened immune systems — including anyone on immunosuppressant drugs, cancer patients in treatment, HIV-positive individuals, and people with diabetes or liver disease.
• Newborns — who can contract the infection from their mother during or before birth.

How This Outbreak Was Traced — and Why It Took So Long

Multi-year foodborne outbreaks are not unusual with Listeria — and understanding why helps explain how serious this one is.

Listeria is extremely difficult to eliminate from a food production environment once it establishes itself. It forms what scientists call biofilms — thin protective layers on surfaces inside machinery, drains, and walls — that make it resistant to cleaning and disinfection. A single contaminated piece of equipment can re-infect products for years.

The fact that cases in this outbreak go back to March 2023 suggests that the contamination inside Clover Hill Dairy’s facility may have been present for a long time. The outbreak was only identified in May 2026 because two people from the same family got sick at the same time and investigators made the connection. Without that coincidence, the cases might never have been linked.

Requeson is a fresh, unpasteurized or minimally processed soft cheese made from whey. It is sold in many Latin grocery stores and markets in the New York area and beyond. Because it is a perishable product sold at specialty retailers, it may not have the same distribution footprint as national brands, which can make tracing harder.

What to Do If You Have Clover Hill Dairy Products

• Do not eat any Clover Hill Dairy requeson or soft ricotta, regardless of the date on the package.
• Throw it away in a sealed plastic bag in a trash can that children and animals cannot access, or return it to the store for a refund.
• Clean your refrigerator if the cheese was stored there. Wipe down shelves, drawers, and any surfaces the package touched. Listeria can spread to other foods through contact.
• See a doctor right away if you have eaten this product and develop a fever, muscle aches, stiff neck, confusion, or severe headache — especially if you are pregnant, elderly, or have a health condition that affects your immune system.

If You or a Family Member Was Seriously Ill

One person has died. Seven were hospitalized. And cases go back to 2023 — meaning people who were sickened years ago may only now be learning that the source of their illness has been identified.

If you or someone in your family was diagnosed with Listeria monocytogenes infection — particularly between 2023 and 2026 — and you believe you may have eaten Clover Hill Dairy products, it is worth having a free conversation with a lawyer. People who were pregnant and lost a baby to Listeria, people who were hospitalized and suffered serious complications, and families who lost someone to this infection all may have options available to them through the legal system.

There is no cost to ask, and no commitment required to find out whether your situation qualifies.