Vermont Officials Issue Warning on Suspect Sheep Cheese

The state Health Department on Tuesday recommended that people not eat cheese made with milk from three flocks of sheep officials fear could be infected with the sheep version of mad cow disease.

Health Commissioner Dr. Jan Carney said she made the recommendation after discussing the matter with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Carney said there were no known cases of people contracting the always-fatal mad cow disease from milk or milk products such as cheese. But the disease, which causes the brain to waste away, has a long incubation period.

The cheese was from two plants whose products are distributed to specialty stores throughout the United States. The products are from Three Shepherds of the Mad River Valley and Northeast Kingdom Sheep Milk Cheese.