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Coli outbreak traced to Costco chicken salad in 7 states
Posted On Nov 26 2015
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No deaths, thankfully, but two people did reportedly develop something called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure that can lead to serious permanent damage.
There have been reports of people taking ill from E.coli infection from California, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
It’s unknown what ingredient in the food could have caused the illness, but the CDC is still investigating the E.coli outbreak.
The operation of Costco in Hoover, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile has since been stopped and all chicken salad and the remaining rotisserie was destroyed as of November 20.
“I am not aware in 25 years of doing this of one chicken outbreak linked to this strain of E.coli O157”, Marler said.
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. Health officials have also not determined which food or ingredient was responsible for that outbreak.
Five of those people have been hospitalized, including two with kidney failure.
CBC.ca is reporting that Seattle attorney Bill Marler, who is representing those sickened in the Chipotle Outbreak, said this latest E. coli outbreak is an excellent example of why food safety is so important.
The department encourages anyone who has eaten the product and feels ill to contact their health care provider.
“All the evidence that we have points to this chicken salad”, he said. Most people recover within 5-7 days, but some cases can be severe.
The Costco E. coli outbreak comes on the heels of a similar outbreak at a Mexican food restaurant chain in Washington and Oregon. Visit the CDC to find out more about the outbreak. “Symptoms can include abdominal cramps and diarrhea, which can sometimes be bloody”, CNN reported.
Officials from the federal health agency are now advising people who might have bought the chicken salad to junk it, no matter where they made their purchases.
