Consuming unpasteurized fresh cheese made from tainted cow’s milk linked to an outbreak in Italy. This outbreak resulted in the death of five people.  

In central Italy, there were 37 cases of Streptococcus zooepidemicus between November 2021 and May 2022, 23 of which required hospitalization. Human infection typically happens as a result of consuming contaminated unpasteurized milk/dairy products and coming into contact with infected animals. The affected population ranged in age from 6 to 98, with a median age of 79. There were 21 females and 16 males who were ill.

Infections were found in 18 hospitalized Pescara-province residents from November 2021 to February 2022. Septicemia, pharyngitis, arthritis, uveitis, and endocarditis were among the symptoms noted. From severe meningitis, five people passed away. 19 hospitalized patients were sent to Teramo, Italy’s Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale, where the researchers collected 21 isolates. All 21 clinical strains shared a family tree, suggesting that the patients’ infections originated from the same place.

Investigations and whole genome sequencing revealed that the outbreak’s source was unpasteurized fresh dairy products. 31 patients were found to have consumed soft or semi-soft cheeses. An unpasteurized bulk cow milk sample obtained from a dairy producer contained Streptococcus zooepidemicus. After that, 18 Streptococcus zooepidemicus strains were discovered during an official inspection of two bulk milk tanks and two samples of cured raw milk cheese.

A strain was discovered in the milk of a cow with mastitis in November 2021, according to a review of data from the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale. In February 2022, local authorities put in place measures to control and stop the spread of Streptococcus Zooepidemicus. The government ordered the pasteurization of the milk used to make cheese, and all dairy products were pulled from shelves and dealers in the area.