The Salmonella Stanley wood ear mushroom outbreak is the number four multistate food poisoning outbreak of 2020. Wood ear mushrooms are also known as kikurage or dried fungus. At least 55 people in 12 states were sickened in this outbreak. Six people were hospitalized because they were so ill.
The patient case count by state was: Arizona (1), California (33), Connecticut (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (5), Louisiana (1), New Jersey (2), New York (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), Washington (5), and Wisconsin (2). The patient age range is from 2 to 74 years. Illness onset dates ranged from January 21, 2020 to September 19, 2020.
These dried wood ear mushrooms were sold only to restaurants and not to consumers. On September 23, 2020, Wismettac Asian Foods recalled dried fungus for possible Salmonella contamination because epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback information showed that that product was the likely source of this outbreak.
In interviews, patients answered questions about what they ate before they got sick. Of 23 people who gave information to investigators, 22, or 96%, said they ate ramen at a restaurant the week before they got sick. Several people said they ate at the same restaurant.
In fact, five illness clusters were identified at restaurants serving ramen in three states. Ten of the 11 people linked to the restaurant clusters said they ate wood ear mushrooms or ramen made with wood ear mushrooms. Traceback from four of those restaurants with illness clusters determined that Wismettac Asian Foods supplied the dried fungus to those restaurants. and on October 1, 2020, the California Department of Public Health identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Stanley in recalled dried fungus samples.
Symtpoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal and stomach pain and cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. These symptoms usually begin 6 to 72 hours after exposure to the pathogen. Most people recover without medical treatment, but some do get sick enough to be hospitalized. This Salmonella Stanley wood ear mushroom outbreak was declared over by the CDC as of November 4, 2020.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with a Salmonella Stanley infection after eating recalled dried wood ear mushrooms, please contact our experienced attorneys for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
