A salmonella outbreak that’s affected 10 states is linked to a type of mushroom commonly served in ramen, according to an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The mushrooms in question are wood ear mushrooms, which are also called kikurage, dried black fungus, dried fungus, or mu-er. These particular imported mushrooms were sold by Wismettac Asian Foods in 32 states. Earlier this week, Wismettac Asian Foods recalled the products after the California Department of Public Health found salmonella in the mushrooms, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says.
So far the outbreak has caused 41 cases of illness and four hospitalizations in 10 states, the CDC says. The mushrooms were only sold to restaurants, not directly to consumers. But several of the cases identified in this salmonella outbreak were people who ate ramen that contained the mushrooms. Of the 18 people who provided information to the CDC about their illness, 16 reported eating ramen at a restaurant within a week of getting sick. Some people even reported eating ramen at the same restaurants.
This particular type of salmonella, Salmonella Stanley, is more common in Southeast Asia, research shows, but it causes the same salmonella symptoms you’re likely already familiar with. Those typically include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and a fever that develop anywhere from six hours to six days after eating the contaminated food, the CDC explains.
Those symptoms usually last between four and seven days, the CDC says, and most otherwise healthy adults recover without needing treatment. But for some people—particularly kids younger than five, adults older than 65, and those with an already weakened immune system—the illness can be more serious. In severe cases, the bacteria can spread from your intestines to other parts of the body, which requires hospitalization to treat.
Because these mushrooms weren’t sold directly to consumers, you don’t need to worry about any mushrooms you may have bought recently. But if you’re ordering from a restaurant, the CDC recommends asking where the mushrooms in your food are from to avoid eating anything that might be contaminated.
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