Table 2.

Cheese characteristics, product sample locations, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of Marte Brand Frescolina Ricotta Salata and other cross-contaminated cheeses yielding the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes

Cheese type	Pasteurized milk*	Cheese texture	Packaging	Location	PFGE patterns†
l’Édel de Cléron	Yes	Soft	Cut and repackaged	Index patient refrigerator	1
l’Édel de Cléron	Yes	Soft	Cut and repackaged	Grocery chain A	1, 2
Raw milk blue cheese	No	Soft	Cut and repackaged	Index patient refrigerator	1
Blue cheese	Yes	Soft	Partial wheel	Distributor C	1
Farmstead cheese	Yes	Semi-hard	Partial wheel	Distributor C	1
Ricotta salata‡	Yes	Soft	Intact wheel	Distributor C	1
Ricotta salata‡	Yes	Soft	Cut and repackaged	Additional patient's refrigerator	1, 2
Ricotta salata‡	Yes	Soft	Intact wheels and partial wheel	Restaurant	1
Ricotta salata‡	Yes	Soft	Intact wheels	Store B	1, 2
Ricotta salata‡	Yes	Soft	Intact wheel	Importer	4

^*Cheeses made from pasteurized milk.

^†Outbreak strain comprised four PFGE patterns: GX6A16·0408/GX6A12·0096 (pattern 1), GX6A16·0268/GX6A12·2297 (pattern 2), GX6A16·0068/ GX6A12·0096 (pattern 3), and GX6A16·1618/GX6A12·2384 (pattern 4).

^‡Italian-imported Marte Brand Frescolina Ricotta Salata.