CDC Reports: Costco Chicken Salad Linked to 19 e. Coli Infections

At least 19 people may have been sickened with e. Coli O157:H7 after eating rotisserie chicken salad from Costco Wholesale Corps.’ stores, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that may lead to dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps two-to-eight days following exposure to the contaminated product. In some cases, contamination may lead to a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS may occur in people of any age; however, HUS is most commonly seen in young children, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems. Symptoms include easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output.

To date, 19 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 from seven states, the CDC reported. Two people developed HUS; no deaths have been reported, but five people have been admitted to the hospital, according to Reuters. e Coli has been identified in Montana, Utah, Colorado, California, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington, according to the CDC.

Vice president of food safety at Costco, Craig Wilson, reported that the store stopped selling the chicken salad on November 20, the same day that it was notified by federal health officials, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and public health officials from a number of states are investigating the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) infections, the CDC wrote.

1. Initial laboratory testing indicates that a celery and onion diced blend produced by Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc. may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. This blended product was used to make the Costco rotisserie chicken salad that was consumed by those who reported illnesses, the CDC indicated. Taylor Farms issued its recall on November 26.

from Parker Waichman http://www.yourlawyer.com/blog/cdc-reports-costco-chicken-salad-linked-to-19-e-coli-infections/