A Listeria outbreak tied to requesón, a soft fresh cheese widely used in Hispanic cooking, has quietly spread across four states since 2023 — and the demographic pattern in the confirmed cases signals that targeted outreach to Hispanic communities is urgently needed.
As of June 24, 2026, the CDC confirmed 12 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes in Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Virginia. Ten of the 12 have been hospitalized. One person — from Maryland — has died. Of the 10 patients who provided demographic information, 9 identified as Hispanic — consistent with requesón's role as a staple cheese in many Hispanic households, where it is often purchased directly from farmers markets and small specialty retailers rather than major chain grocery stores.
The outbreak traces back to requesón and soft cheese produced by Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland. The Maryland Department of Health has suspended the dairy's operating license. On June 18, 2026, Clover Hill expanded its recall to cover all of its cheese products. On June 26, La Ceiba Foods Latin Market Inc. issued a separate recall for requesón repackaged under the La Colonia and Selectos Latinos brands, distributed to stores and restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Why This Matters
Listeria monocytogenes is among the most dangerous foodborne bacteria that circulate in the United States. It kills approximately 20 percent of people who develop listeriosis — a fatality rate far higher than Salmonella or E. coli. Every year, roughly 1,600 Americans develop listeriosis and approximately 260 die, according to the CDC.
The community pattern in this outbreak is not incidental. Requesón is a distinctively soft, fresh, hand-made cheese with cultural importance across Mexican, Central American, and Caribbean cooking traditions. It is frequently purchased from small producers, farmers markets, and neighborhood Latin grocery stores — supply chains that often sit outside the mainstream retail tracking systems used to identify and stop contamination early.
The Clover Hill Dairy contamination timeline underscores this: illness samples span March 6, 2023, through June 2, 2026 — more than three years. The dairy's Listeria-positive environment was embedding itself in products reaching consumers for over three years before the outbreak was publicly identified in June 2026.
What We Know So Far
CDC and FDA investigation data as of June 24, 2026:
- 12 confirmed cases in Illinois (1), Maryland (3), New York (5), and Virginia (3)
- 10 hospitalizations; 1 death (Maryland)
- Illness sample dates : March 6, 2023 through June 2, 2026 — more than 3 years
- Patient ages : 16 to 81 years; median age 55
- 88% of patients identified as Hispanic
- Listeria confirmed in 6 product samples of requesón cheese and in 2 environmental samples from the dairy facility
- Whole-genome sequencing confirmed the strain in cheese matches the strain in patients
- The outbreak strain was identified in an unopened 18-pound bulk container of Clover Hill Dairy requesón — the traceback anchor that led investigators to the facility
Where the Risk Is Highest
Clover Hill Dairy distributed its products primarily to Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. However, because the cheese was sold through wholesale distributors, farmers markets, and third-party repackagers, it may have reached additional states.
Complicating containment: Clover Hill cheese sold in bulk to retailers was frequently repackaged under different brand names before reaching consumers. The CDC has confirmed the Clover Hill Dairy requesón was relabeled and sold under brand names including Kesso, Quesos la Ricura, Izalco, De mi Pueblo, and Rio Lindo — names that a consumer would not automatically associate with a Maryland dairy.
On June 26, La Ceiba Foods Latin Market Inc. separately recalled requesón repackaged as:
- Requesón Salvadoreño (Ricotta Style Salvadorean Cheese) — La Colonia brand
- Requesón Mexicano (Mexican Cottage Cheese) — Selectos Latinos brand
Distributed to supermarkets, retail stores, and restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., from May 11 through June 1, 2026.
Major metropolitan areas with large Hispanic populations — New York City (particularly the Bronx, Queens, and Upper Manhattan), Washington D.C., Baltimore, Northern Virginia, and the Maryland suburbs — have the heaviest concentration of the known distribution zone.
What Doctors and Experts Say
The demographic pattern in this outbreak is clinically significant and the CDC's reporting of it reflects a deliberate commitment to transparency about who is being affected.
The FDA's investigation specifically notes that "the recalled cheese was sold in bulk five-gallon and two-gallon buckets to some customers that repackaged the cheese" — a distribution model that creates multi-layered traceability challenges and means that the warning needs to reach consumers who may not recognize the original manufacturer's name on their product.
Infectious disease clinicians treating listeriosis have emphasized that Listeria does not present like a typical foodborne illness. Unlike Salmonella or norovirus, Listeria's incubation period can extend up to 70 days. A patient who ate requesón in early May could develop listeriosis symptoms in July — and may not make the connection without being asked specifically about soft cheese consumption in the prior two months.
What the Evidence Shows — and What It Does Not
Whole-genome sequencing is the gold standard tool that the CDC used to definitively link this outbreak. The match between the Listeria in the cheese and the Listeria in patients is not a statistical association — it is genetic fingerprinting that identifies the bacteria as the same organism. This outbreak has been confirmed, not merely suspected.
The CDC's explicit statement that "the true number of sick people is likely higher than what has been confirmed" reflects the standard reality of Listeria surveillance: many cases are never diagnosed. Listeria disproportionately affects people who are less likely to seek medical care early — including older adults, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant people whose initial symptoms may resemble the flu.
MedicalDaily Evidence Check
- Investigation type : Active multistate Listeria outbreak investigation
- Confirmed cases : 12 in 4 states (as of June 24, 2026)
- Deaths : 1
- Pathogen : Listeria monocytogenes
- Outbreak duration : March 2023 through at least June 2026
- Source confirmed : Clover Hill Dairy requesón cheese (WGS match in cheese and patients)
- Key limitation : True case count is likely higher than confirmed; distribution through multiple repackagers complicates full geographic reach
- What readers should know : Any soft requesón or ricotta-style cheese associated with Clover Hill Dairy — under any brand name — should be discarded; refrigerators should be cleaned per CDC protocol
Who Faces the Greatest Risk?
Listeria is unusually dangerous for specific populations:
- Pregnant people , who are roughly 20 times more likely than healthy adults to develop listeriosis. Infection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection in a newborn — even when the mother's own illness appears mild.
- Adults 65 and older , who face higher risk of severe and fatal disease
- Immunocompromised individuals , including people with cancer, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, or HIV
- Newborns , who can be infected during birth from a mother with active listeriosis
- Hispanic community members , particularly those who purchase requesón from the specific farms market vendors, small grocers, and specialty markets in the distribution zone
Symptoms and Warning Signs to Watch For
Listeria symptoms can appear anywhere from 1 to 70 days after consuming contaminated food — most commonly within 1 to 4 weeks. Symptoms include:
- Fever (often the first sign)
- Muscle aches
- Nausea and diarrhea
- Stiff neck, headache, confusion (if the infection reaches the brain — meningitis)
- Loss of balance
- Seizures
In pregnant people, symptoms may be mild (fever, fatigue, muscle aches) but the consequences for the fetus can be severe. Any fever during pregnancy — particularly in someone who has consumed requesón or soft cheese in the past two months — should prompt immediate contact with a healthcare provider.
If you are in a high-risk group and develop any of these symptoms after consuming soft cheese in the past 70 days, contact your doctor and specifically mention the Clover Hill Dairy Listeria outbreak.
What You Can Do Now
- Throw away all Clover Hill Dairy cheese immediately. This includes requesón, cuajada, and all other varieties. Look for the manufacturer permit number 24-128 on the label.
- Check for these brand names that have been linked to Clover Hill Dairy repackaging: Kesso, Quesos la Ricura, Izalco, De mi Pueblo, Rio Lindo, La Colonia (Requesón Salvadoreño), and Selectos Latinos (Requesón Mexicano).
- Clean your refrigerator thoroughly. Listeria grows at refrigerator temperatures and can spread to other foods and surfaces. The CDC recommends removing all food, washing all interior surfaces with hot soapy water, then sanitizing with one tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Clean door gaskets and seals.
- Do not eat, serve, or sell any recalled requesón even if it looks, smells, and tastes normal. Listeria contamination is not detectable by appearance or odor.
- If you are pregnant or immunocompromised and have eaten soft cheese in the past 2 months, contact your healthcare provider even if you feel well. Some infections require treatment before symptoms appear.
- Report illness to your local health department if you believe you were sickened.
Cost and Access: What Patients Should Know
Listeria testing requires a blood test or lumbar puncture, ordered by a clinician. Testing is covered by most insurance plans and Medicare. For patients without insurance, county health departments and federally qualified health centers can assess and refer.
Listeriosis treatment requires intravenous antibiotics, typically administered in a hospital setting for serious cases. Community health workers and patient navigators can help connect Hispanic community members to care, particularly in areas where language barriers or documentation concerns may delay help-seeking.
The FDA's full recall list and investigation updates are available in English and can be translated through the CDC's multilingual resources page.
What Happens Next
The FDA's investigation into Clover Hill Dairy is ongoing. The Maryland Department of Health's suspension of the dairy's operating license means the facility is not currently producing or distributing cheese. However, already-distributed products remain in the supply chain and in consumers' homes.
The case count may increase further as illness dates from March 2023 through June 2026 indicate a long timeline that may still have unreported cases pending diagnosis. MedicalDaily will update this report when new cases are confirmed or when the outbreak is formally closed.
The Bottom Line
This is a multi-year Listeria outbreak that disproportionately affected Hispanic families — not because of any characteristic of the community, but because requesón is a culturally important food that moved through distribution channels where contamination warnings did not reach consumers quickly enough. The practical action is immediate: check for any requesón in your home purchased in recent weeks, look for the permit number 24-128, clean your refrigerator, and seek care if you or a family member — especially anyone pregnant — develops fever or muscle aches in the coming weeks.
