According to Food Safety News, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting there have been five hospitalizations, including two reports of a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
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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 Wall Street Journal reports federal investigators are examining whether the celery and onion mix in the rotisserie chicken salad was the source of the E. coli outbreak. “The ongoing investigation has not identified what specific ingredient in the chicken salad is linked to illness”, CDC informed.
Craig Wilson, Costco’s vice president responsible for food safety, said in a statement that they removed the product from the stores as soon as they were informed by the CDC about the issue on Friday. The CDC issued a warning to Costco customers encouraging them to throw out any of the store’s chicken salad.
No deaths from the outbreak have been reported.
Earlier this year, The Associated Press surveyed health departments in 45 states, gathering more recent data, mostly from 2013 and 2014. Bill Marler said the problem appears serious because People were hospitalized in the Chipotle outbreak, but no one developed kidney failure.
The Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 is not the same strain that sickened Chipotle customers recently. It is also cooperating with the CDC by providing its sales logs to help track people who bought the chicken salad and where the salad ingredients came from.
Marler believes the chicken isn’t to blame for the bacteria. Fifty people were sickened after eating at one of 43 Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants between October 14 and Oct 23.
Symptoms linked with this particular strain of E.coli include diarrhea and abdominal cramps.
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Colorado health officials added four of the cases reflect patients whom have already recovered.
