The cases began between January 21 and August 26, the agency said Thursday. Four of the 41 infected are reported to have been hospitalized. Infected people range in age from two to 74 years.
The mushrooms, distributed by Wizmetak Asian Foods, Inc. in Santa Fe Springs, California, were sold only in restaurants, not directly to consumers.
Wooden ear mushrooms are also commonly referred to as kickurage, dry black fungus, dry fungus or muer / mu er / mu-air mushrooms.
The mushrooms came in six packs of 5-pounds. Bag labeled “Shirikiku Brand Black Fungus (Kikurage)” with UPC Bar Code 00074410604305
The FDA said the mushrooms were exported to the U.S. And shipped to restaurants in Canada at: , Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and British Columbia in Canada.
The CDC said on its website that customers can ask where the mushroom restaurants are before ordering to avoid eating memorable mushrooms.
Four disease clusters were found in restaurants serving Ramen in three different states. Agencies have reported that eight out of nine people associated with those clusters have reported eating wooden ear mushrooms in Ramen.
Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps six to six days after exposure to the bacteria, the CDC said. It usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment.
However, salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the weak or elderly, and others with weakened immune symptoms.
In general, dried mushrooms should always be reproduced using boiled water, the CDC said. This advice does not apply back to mushrooms, which should be discarded.
.
