E. coli outbreak 2015: infections linked to Costco chicken salad

Just recently, an E. coli outbreak hit seven states of the United States and infected a total of 19 people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

According to Yahoo, this new E.coli outbreak is linked to Costco stores. The investigation of CDC led to a conclusion that the culprit for this outbreak was Costco's Rotisserie Chicken Salad.

Most of those who were infected by the bacteria bought and ate the said chicken salad a few weeks or days before they experienced any symptom.

The E.coli victims stated that they bought the chicken salad in late October and early November.

Despite already figuring out that the Rotisserie Chicken Salad of Costco was the root of the outbreak, the state health departments, together with the US Department of Agriculture, US Food and Drug Administration and CDC, are still doing their best to finally pinpoint which among the ingredients of the chicken salad was contaminated with the bacteria.

CNN reported that the DFA already confirmed that the Rotisserie Chicken Salad has already been pulled off from the Costco stores in the affected states.

As of now, it is wise and safe for the people to check their refrigerator whether they have this certain chicken salad. If they have it, then it would be wise for them to check the label first before consuming.

If their chicken salad comes with an item number 37719, then it is recommended to throw it without any hesitation.

It might be a waste to throw food, but it will be much more of a waste to risk a person's health. Anyway, they can always buy another chicken salad from another store if they really want to eat one.

If they have consumed the chicken salad before knowing this fact, they should observe their own health. If any symptom occurs, then they must immediately see a doctor. Among the common symptoms of E. coli are diarrhea and abdominal cramps. The symptoms usually start to occur two to eight days after consuming a food that is contaminated with the bacteria.

While E. coli is taken seriously as a big matter in the U.S., most E. coli patients can immediately recover after a week. However, those who are already suffering from a chronic illness before being infected with the bacteria might experience worse effects, such as kidney failure. The most vulnerable ones are the children and elderly as they have low immunity.