A salmonella outbreak linked to dried wood ear mushrooms has sicked dozens of people across ten states. The mushrooms were distributed by Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc., which is based in Sante Fe Springs, California, and were only sold to restaurants.
The CDC said that from January 21 through August 26, they received 41 reports of salmonella poisoning. Four of those people had to be hospitalized. The ages of the infected individuals ranged from two to 74-years-old.
Wismettac said they have issued a voluntary recall of the mushrooms, which were sold in five-pound bags labeled as "Shirakiku brand Black Fungus (Kikurage)" with a UPC code 00074410604305. The product was distributed to restaurants in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and British Columbia in Canada.
Wood ear mushrooms are used mostly in Chinese cooking and are commonly used to make hot and sour soup.
The symptoms of salmonella poisoning include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, and can last between four and seven days. Most people recover without receiving treatment. In rare cases, salmonella can cause an infection in a person's blood, bones, joints, urine, or the nervous system.
Photo: Getty Images