A Florida man in his mid-40s on a meat, fat, and dairy-heavy diet arrived at a Tampa hospital with ooze emanating from yellowish nodes on the palms of his hands, elbows, and the soles of his feet.

Mozzarella sticks, whether from your grocer’s freezer or at your local bowling alley, are pretty much all the same: low-moisture, part-skim cheese, coated in breadcrumbs. Toss them in a fryer ...