A multi-state Salmonella outbreak may have started at Chapel Hill Creamery.

Orange County Health Department director Dr. Colleen Bridger said the investigation began because of local numbers that were out of sync with normal figures.

“Orange County, Durham County, Wake County and Chatham County were all noticing that we had higher-than-usual reported cases of Salmonella,” Bridger said.

Bridger said “it’s not unusual” to see spikes in Salmonella throughout the year but these spikes were out of the ordinary. That caused officials to ask those who had tested positive for Salmonella about their eating habits in an attempt to pinpoint the source.

“In doing that questionnaire,” Bridger said, “we had one person identify that they had eaten cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery.”

Bridger said that the state Department of Agriculture reached out to the Orange County Health Department around that same time to report that they had a sample from Chapel Hill Creamery test positive for Salmonella. Bridger said further testing determined the same strain found in the sample from Chapel Hill Creamery was found in those testing positive for Salmonella.

Bridger said Chapel Hill Creamery responded immediately by issuing a voluntary recall of all Chapel Hill Creamery cheese products.

“I can’t state enough how proactive Chapel Hill Creamery has been in this investigation, how cooperative they have been,” Bridger said. “They have done everything they were supposed to do in the preparation of their cheese. These things sometimes happen.

“They did not do anything wrong.”

Bridger added that “there is always a risk” when using raw milk to make cheese, which she characterized as a one percent risk.

Bridger said Chapel Hill Creamery goes “above and beyond” federal guidelines in most cases when processing and aging cheeses.

Bridger said it is important for anyone who has already purchased any cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery that they do not eat that cheese and throw it away.

Bridger said Salmonella typically has symptoms including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Bridger said individuals with symptoms should just let it “run it course.” She said as long as the individual is staying hydrated then there is no need to see a medical provider.

But Bridger did say that if you are becoming dehydrated, you should then seek medical attention.

Chapel Hill Creamery co-founder Portia McKnight said in a release:

“Although there is not yet a definitive link between the CHC cheese and the illnesses, there is enough evidence to implicate the cheese and we are asking customers to not consume these cheeses or use them in food service.”

Officials say they have also asked wholesalers to remove CHC cheese from their shelves and dispose of it.

The outbreak has been connected to cases in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Orange County has provided a hot line (919) 245-2378 for any questions.