19 People Infected In E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Costco Chicken

LM Otero / AP

At least 19 people across seven states have been infected with a strain of E. coli bacteria in an outbreak federal health officials believe is linked to rotisserie chicken salads sold at Costco Wholesale stores.

Five people have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday. Two had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure.

"The epidemiologic evidence available to investigators at this time suggests that rotisserie chicken salad made and sold in Costco stores is a likely source of this outbreak," the CDC said in a statement. "The ongoing investigation has not identified what specific ingredient in the chicken salad is linked to illness."

Fourteen of the infected people either purchased or ate the Costco chicken salad before becoming ill, officials said.

As of Monday, six of the infections were in Montana, five in Utah, and four in Colorado. California, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington had each recorded one case.

People began falling ill on Oct. 6, with the last recorded case on Nov. 3.

"Ill people range in age from 5 years to 84, with a median age of 18," the CDC said.

Costco told public health officials on Friday that it removed the rotisserie chicken salad from all stores nationwide. It has also stopped production of the product until further notice, the CDC said.

The product is labelled "Chicken Salad made with Rotisserie Chicken" with item number 37719 on the label. Officials are urging people to throw the salad away, even if some of it has already been eaten.

It comes after the restaurant chain Chipotle suffered its own E. coli outbreak in Washington and Oregon earlier this month, which resulted in 42 people falling ill.

More incidents of the illness possibly linked to Chipotle were reported in California, Minnesota, Ohio, and New York last week.

SOURCE: BuzzFeed