France is facing a worrying health crisis. Two people have lost their lives to listeriosis, a serious bacterial infection that has health authorities concerned. In response to this tragedy, a massive cheese recall has been launched across the country, affecting nearly fifty batches of dairy products.
The figures are staggering: twenty-one cases of listeriosis have been recorded since the beginning of summer, including eighteen since June alone. Among these victims, aged 34 to 95 , two did not survive the infection. It should be noted that of these two deaths , one already had underlying pathologies.
An invisible but formidable enemy
Listeriosis is unforgiving. This infection, often fatal in vulnerable individuals, manifests itself through fever, headaches, vomiting, and sometimes diarrhea. In pregnant women, it can cause miscarriage or fatal neonatal infection. The incubation period, which can be up to eight weeks, makes diagnosis particularly difficult.
Listeria monocytogenes bacteria are unique in that they are resistant to cold and can multiply even in refrigerators. They easily colonize humid environments in the food industry, contaminating products during manufacturing or packaging. This explains why some contaminations can affect multiple batches simultaneously.
Cheese cutting at the Paris Agricultural Show on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Victor LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
French cheese factory singled out
Public Health France and the Ministry of Agriculture have established a ” possible link ” between these contaminations and pasteurized milk cheeses produced by the Chavegrand company , located in Creuse.
“Investigations carried out by Santé Publique France (…) led to the identification at the beginning of August of convergent epidemiological and microbiological elements, establishing a possible link between these 21 ‘cases of listeriosis’, including 18 since June, and the consumption of pasteurized milk cheeses produced by the Chavegrand company , ” they indicated in a press release.
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