Rotisserie chicken salad purchased from Costco could be contaminated with E. coli and may make people sick.
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Authorities have not officially determined the source of the contamination, but Craig Wilson, Costco vice president of food safety and quality assurance, told the Associated Press he was told by the Food and Drug Administration that the strain of E. coli seems to be connected to an onion and celery mix.
The CDC said in a statement that the products of Costco that are under investigation are labeled “Chicken Salad made with Rotisserie Chicken” and have an item number 37719.
The strain linked to the Mexican food chain was identified as E. coli 026, while the one tied to Costco is E. coli 157, which the CDC said is more likely to be harmful, especially in young children.
Of the 16 people interviewed by health officials, 14 have reported eating Costco chicken salad during the week before they became ill, according to the CDC.
The outbreak of E. Coli bacteria is mostly occurring in the west. As of writing, there are already five people hospitalized and two have developed a sort of kidney failure – one of the severe complications from infection with this specific strain of E. Coli bacteria.
Attempts to reach Taylor Farms and Costco officials late November 25 were unsuccessful.
Five people have been hospitalized across the nation, including two who developed a type of kidney failure. The seven states where the infections have been reported so far are Washington, Virginia, Missouri, California, Utah, Colorado and Montana.
The Costco-linked illnesses are not related to a recent E. coli outbreak tied to Chipotle that sickened more than 40 people. Chipotle voluntarily closed 43 restaurants in Washington and OR after that outbreak.
Tauxe said both investigations are ongoing and he hopes they will eventually find the exact cause of both outbreaks.
All confirmed patients have the same strain of E. coli based on DNA testing.
Health officials say the incubation period is three to seven days from the time of exposure.
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The CDC urges consumers who bought the salad on or before Friday to toss the product.
