Coli tied to Costco more dangerous than Chipotle outbreak

Five people have been sent to the hospital for E. coli-related symptoms; two people developed a kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.

There have been reports of people taking ill from E.coli infection from California, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

On a report broadcast by CBS morning news on Wednesday, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist from Vanderbilt University, described the strain of E. coli discovered in Costco chicken salad as “much more hazardous” than that discovered at the Chipotle restaurant chain. The rotisserie chicken salad has been removed from its U.S. stores and production of the said product has been put on hold until further notice. The year 2014 saw the American corporation getting linked to a salmonella outbreak from chicken products sold by it in a minimum of nine states.

Nineteen people have become ill from E. coli from rotisserie chicken salad purchased at Costco stores.

One of the four people was hospitalized, the department said. They eventually found that 43 of 45 had eaten at Chipotle restaurants in Washington, Oregon, California, New York, Minnesota or Ohio. However, the ongoing investigation has yet to identify the specific ingredient at issue.

The E. coli in the Costco outbreak is a different strain from the one that affected Chipotle stores mainly in the Pacific Northwest.

This product has a typical shelf life of 3 days and is labeled “Chicken Salad made with Rotisserie Chicken” with item number 37719 on the label. No other Costco foods use the same ingredients that were used to make the chicken salad.

Five had to go to the hospital, and two of them have kidney failure. “Some of them can range from mild symptoms- like abdominal pain, diarrhea- to all the way to kidney failure, possible heart failure, and in very rare cases even death”.

This current strain that has been linked to Costco was identified, as E. coli 157 that the CDC has said is more apt to be more harmful in particular for young children. The rotisserie chicken salad were said to be infected with E. coli bacteria. The agency also mentioned that supportive therapy, such as hydration, is the best way to approach E. coli infections.

As of November 23, 2015, 19 people infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 have been reported from 7 states.