The Austrian Agency for Health and Nutrition Safety (AGES) said a 70-year-old woman and 79-year-old man had been taken to hospital with inflammation in the brain lining. The woman was also suffering blood poisoning. AGES again warned consumers about consumption of Quargel cheese.
The agency said at least one of the cases developed after the January recall of the cheese from Prolactal. AGES said 17 people had so far been hospitalised with listeria infections this year, with 12 of these linked to contaminated Quargel cheese recalled on 24 January. Last year, there were 12 cases, including four deaths.
To date there have been five deaths in Austria and two in Germany connected to the outbreak.