CostcoCostco is under the glare of the media of this week.

At least 19 people in seven states may have been infected by E. coli after eating rotisserie chicken salad sold at Costco Wholesale Corp.'s stores, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday.

The infections have been reported in Montana, Utah, Colorado, California, Missouri, Virginia and Washington, CDC said.

Five people have been hospitalized, Reuters said. No deaths have been reported, but two individuals developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a type of kidney failure that can lead to permanent organ damage, the news service added.

Costco said it stopped selling the chicken salad on Nov. 20, the same day it was notified by federal health officials that it was linked to cases of E. coli, Craig Wilson, VP of food safety at Costco, told Reuters.

WRAL.com reports that the strain of E. Coli linked to Costco chicken salad is more likely to be life-threatening than a recent foodborne illness that led to the closure of some Chipotle restaurants in the Northwest.

The CDC and state health officials were investigating and have not yet determined what ingredient in the rotisserie chicken salad made and sold in Costco Wholesale stores could be the source of the outbreak.

The first 24 hours after a crisis hits are the most crucial in terms of how brands try and get out from under the situation.

On that front, Costco appears to be taking the path of least resistance. A visit to the Costco.com found no mention of the E.coli outbreak at some of Costco's stores or the CDC investigation. Ditto for the company’s Twitter handle. In a social media age, brands can ill afford to wait too long to respond to a crisis, particularly when lives may be a stake.

In day trading Wednesday morning, Costco’s stock was down 48 cents, to roughly $161.80.