An E. coli outbreak linked to contaminated celery in Costco Rotisserie Chicken Salad has triggered the recall of 71 other products sold at various retailers including Vons, Tony’s, King Soopers, Pantry, Savemart and 7 Eleven. At least 19 people in seven states have already been sickened, two of them have hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) a life-threatening complication that causes kidney failure.
The recalled products include vegetable trays sold at Walmart and 7-Eleven; wraps and salads sold at Target; prepared salads sold at Costco; salad sold at King Soopers; salads and wraps sold at Pantry and Savemart; salad kits, veggie trays and salads at Safeway, Vons and Albertons; salad kits at Tony’s and the Holiday Turkey Sandwich sold at Starbucks.
Montana health officials performed tests on a celery and diced onion blend produced by Taylor Farms and used to prepare Costco Rotisserie Chicken Salad which were positive for E. coli 0157:H7.
Shiga toxins in E. coli O157:H7 cause severe illness with symptoms including abdominal cramps and diarrhea that can be bloody. Between 10 to 15 percent of people with an E. coli infection will develop HUS which causes kidney failure, seizure, stroke and coma and death.
Symptoms of HUS, which usually set in on the eighth day of an E. coli infection, include, pale skin, skin that easily bruises, decreased urine output, blood in the urine, vomiting, bleeding from the nose or mouth, swelling of the hands, face or body. Anyone with these symptoms should seek immediate medical care. Hemolytic uremic syndrome can cause kidney failure, strokes, seizures, and death. If a patient recovers, they may face years of dialysis or even a kidney transplant.
The case patients in this outbreak, who range in age from 5 to 84, reported onset of illness dates ranging from October 6 to November 3. Most of them began between October 22 and November 3. The median age for all case patients is 18. Fifty-seven percent of them are female. There have been no fatalities. By state, the case count is as follows: California (1), Colorado (4), Missouri (1), Montana (6), Utah (5), Virginia (1), and Washington (1).
