At least 19 people in seven states may have been infected by E. coli after eating rotisserie chicken salad sold at Costco Wholesale Corp’s stores, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday.
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The cases are spread across the country, with reports of people who have fallen ill in California, Washington, Missouri, Virginia, Colorado, Utah and Montana. The organization found that 14 out of 16 people had eaten a Costco rotisserie chicken salad before falling ill.
Costco removed the chicken salad from their shelves Friday, but if the salad was bought before then, it may still be in homes.
“The epidemiologic evidence available to investigators at this time suggests that rotisserie chicken salad made and sold in Costco stores is a likely source of this outbreak”, the CDC reported.
The Utah Department of Health announced that five cases of E.Coli O157:H7 have been reported in Utah, two males and three females ranging in age from nine to 84.
No deaths have been reported, though five of the sickened people have been hospitalized and two have developed kidney failure.
Craig Wilson, Costco’s vice president for food safety and quality assurance, identified the Salinas, Calif., produce company November 25.
To learn about how to avoid food-borne illnesses caused by bacteria like E. coli, check out “7 Keys to Dodging Deadly Bacteria That Lurk in Your Food”.
Costco, the second-largest USA retailer behind Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said on November 4 that sales at established stores fell 1% in October, as total sales rose 1% to $8.78 billion. People who have eaten it and feel ill should talk to a health care provider. People were hospitalized in the Chipotle outbreak, but no one developed kidney failure.
“Our rotisserie chickens are not implicated at all”, Wilson said. Using this information, the CDC should be able to determine whether or not the outbreak is due to one ingredient in the salad.
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Costco also used other suppliers for the onion and celery mix but Wilson said they may have used the same ingredients that went into the packages from Taylor Farms. “Symptoms can include abdominal cramps and diarrhea, which can sometimes be bloody”, CNN reported.
