E. Coli Infections Linked to Costco Chicken Salad

CNN reports that several E. coli infections have been confirmed in several western states of the United States. Health investigators have linked E. coli bacteria to Costco’s Chicken Salad.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment has reported four cases, one of which was hospitalized. According to the department, all four cases have been recovered.

A Washington resident in King Country also was linked to the infection. “We take E. coli very seriously in Washington,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist said in a statement. “We are working with the CDC and state partners to determine the source.”

Individual state health departments, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are working with Costco to quickly detect the source of the E. coli.

CNN reports that the FDA confirmed to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that the chicken salad was pulled from store shelves in the state after being purchased in October.

If you bought chicken salad from Costco in the past few months, especially in October, please check the label! If the item number is 37719, throw the container away — as it could be contaminated.

Please call your doctor immediately if you begin to feel ill. People infected by E. coli are generally affected two to eight days after consumption, reports CNN.