*WARNING*
A recall from an E.coli scare at Costco has now been expanded to more than a dozen states. Last week, Taylor Farms Pacific recalled 71 different products sold at leading chains like Walmart, Target, Albertson’s, 7-Eleven and even Starbucks which may contain tainted celery. So far, the recall has affected more than 155,000 individual items.
Products affected by the recall include deli chicken, pasta, and potato salads, chicken and tuna salad kits, and turkey and stuffing sandwiches sold at Starbucks. The full list of recalled products is here.
So far, 19 people have been infected with the outbreak strain in seven states, according to the CDC. Five of the infected were hospitalized. The number of people sickened in the outbreak will likely grow over the next few weeks, even though the product has been removed from store shelves, the CDC said Wednesday.
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Symptoms of E. coli infection include stomach cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, and vomiting. Some people may run a low-grade fever. Most people get better within 5 to 7 days, according to the FDA, but around 5 to 10% of those who are diagnosed develop a potentially life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. Two people so far have developed HUS, the CDC says.
Although E.coli can live harmlessly in the gut, this strain of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli called O157:H7 can be particularly dangerous and can lead to kidney failure in about 6 to 9 percent of adult cases and 15 percent of cases in children, according to the CDC. Five people have been hospitalized, including two with kidney failure. No deaths have been reported. The elderly and young children are most at risk for developing kidney failure related to an E.coli infection.
The FDA is urging people to contact a doctor if they have diarrhea that lasts for more than three days or if they also have a high fever, bloody stool, or frequent vomiting.
