Costco chicken salad linked to E. Coli outbreak

Five people have been hospitalized, including two who developed kidney failure. Other states involved are California, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

In the present case, the exact source of the bacterium has not been identified, say sources from CDC.

“This tells me that the number of ill is likely going to go up because the HUS cases are easier to track”, Marler said.

She says the investigation by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is complicated because the salad with rotisserie chicken is put together in-store with ingredients from a variety of sources. 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. Foster Poultry Farms, a California-based business, supplied the contaminated chicken to Costco.

Although there is no confirmed death due to the outbreak, the E. coli strain which produces Shiga toxin can be potentially fatal as it may result to death.

Costco’s shares closed down 1.3 percent at $162.19 after heavy trading on Tuesday and were down slightly more in extended trading. Children under the age of 5, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk from E. coli illness. To date, health officials have not been able to determine the specific ingredient in the chicken salad responsible for the foodborne illness.

“All the evidence that we have points to this chicken salad”, he said. It also advises anyone that purchased a Costco rotisserie chicken salad on or before November 20, 2015 to throw it away. The chicken salad has a shelf life of three to four days and is labeled as “Chicken Salad made with Rotisserie Chicken”.

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

Officials from the health agency are urging people who bought chicken salad to drop it in the trash, wherever they have bought it recently.

A person that has E. coli infection will experience abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.