ATLANTA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday that an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to Costco rotisserie chicken salad appears to be over.
Nineteen people were infected from the outbreak in seven states, mostly in the West. Five people were hospitalized, including two with hemolytic uremic syndrome, but no deaths were reported.
According to the CDC, evidence suggests that rotisserie chicken salad made and sold in Costo Wholesale stores in several states was the likely source of the outbreak. On Nov. 20, Costco reported to public health officials that the company had voluntarily removed all remaining rotisserie chicken salad from its US stores.
Illnesses began on dates ranging from Oct. 6 to Nov. 3. Ill people ranged in age from 5 years to 84, with a median age of 18, the CDC reported.
The FDA conducted a traceback investigation of the FDA-regulated ingredients used in the chicken salad to try to determine which ingredient was linked to illness, but the traceback did not identify a common source of contamination, according to the CDC.
