The Salmonella wood ear mushroom outbreak has now sickened at least 43 people in 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Four people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The mushrooms were imported and distributed from Wismettac Asian Foods and were sold only to restaurants.
However, some people may have leftovers containing these mushrooms in their home.. The mushrooms were sold in six packs of five-pound bags labeled Shirakiku brand Black Fungus (Kikurage) with UPC number 00074410604305, and item #60403, imported from China.
The patient case count by state is: Arizona (1), California (27), Connecticut (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (5), Louisiana (1), New Jersey (2), New York (1), Pennsylvania (2), and Wisconsin (2). Illness onset dates range from January 21, 2020 to August 26, 2020. The patient age range is from 2 to 74 years. No deaths have been reported.
Four illness clusters, which consist of two more people people who do not live in the same household who ate at the same restaurant location, attended a common event, or shopped at the same grocery store, have been identified. The clusters were identified at restaurants serving ramen in three states. eight of the nine ill persons linked to restaurant clusters reported eating wood ear mushrooms or ramen containing wood ear mushrooms the week before their illness started.
The FDA reports that the California Department of Public Health collected samples of these imported Wismettac Asian Foods wood ear mushrooms from one of the restaurants where a patient ate. On October 1, 2020, genetic testing determined that the Salmonella present in the mushroom samples match the outbreak strain.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection. The illness usually lasts about a week. Most people recover without treatment, but some may have long lasting health complications including reactive arthritis and high blood pressure. Symptoms include a fever, nausea, vomitwing, stomach and abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody.
If you have experienced these symptoms, especially if you have eaten ramen in a restaurant lately, see your doctor. You may be part of this Salmonella wood ear mushroom outbreak.
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.
