The wood ear mushroom Salmonella outbreak has ended with 55 sick in 12 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Six people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The mushrooms, imported by Wismettac Asian Foods, were recalled in October 2020.
The patient case count has increased by 12 since the last outbreak update almost a month ago. And two states, Oregon and Washington, were added to the outbreak state count.
The patient case count by state is: 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 range from January 21, 2020 to September 19, 2020. Of 48 people who gave information about their illness to investigators, six were hospitalized.
Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback information showed that dried wood ear mushrooms that were imported and distributed by Wismettac Asian Foods were the likely source of this outbreak. Of 23 people who gave information to the government, 22 said they ate ramen at a restaurant before they got sick, showing they may have been part of illness clusters. The restaurants were not named in the investigation report.
Five illness clusters were identified at restaurants serving ramen in three states. Ten of the 11 people linked to restaurant clusters said they ate wood ear mushrooms or ramen containing wood ear mushrooms the week before they got sick. Traceback from four of those unnamed restaurants determined that Wismettac Asian Foods supplied the dried fungus to those restaurants.
On October 1, 2020, the California Department of Pubic Health found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Stanley in recalled dried fungus samples. And whole genome sequencing of patient isolates showed that they were closely related genetically which means that people in this outbreak were likely to share a common source of infection.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach and abdominal pain and cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. If you have experienced these symptoms, especially if you have eaten the recalled mushrooms, see your doctor. You may be part of this wood ear mushroom Salmonella 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.
