A total of 55 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Stanley were reported from 12 states. And, epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback information showed that wood ear mushrooms distributed by Wismettac Asian Foods Inc. were the likely source of this outbreak.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from Jan. 21, 2020, to Sept. 19, 2020. Ill people ranged in age from 2 to 74 years, with a median age of 28. Fifty-seven percent of those sickened were female. Of 48 ill people with information available, six hospitalizations were reported. No deaths were reported.
Five illness clusters were identified at restaurants serving ramen in three states. Ten (91 percent) of the 11 ill people linked to restaurant clusters reported eating wood ear mushrooms or ramen containing wood ear mushrooms in the week before their illness started.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and states conducted a traceback investigation from four of the restaurants with illness clusters to identify the source of the wood ear mushrooms eaten by ill people. Traceback determined that Wismettac Asian Foods Inc., supplied wood ear mushrooms (dried fungus) to these restaurants.
Wismettac Asian Foods on Sept. 23, 2020, recalled dried fungus due to possible Salmonella contamination.,
The California Department of Public Health ion Oct. 1, 2020, identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Stanley in recalled dried fungus samples.
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