UPDATE: May 10, 2018 at 11:28 p.m.
In an update Wednesday, the CDC reported four more states have been affected by the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak. New cases were found in Florida, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Texas, bringing the total number of states involved to 29. California and Pennsylvania continue to have the most reported cases, with 30 and 20 cases, respectively.
Since the CDC's last update on May 2, 28 more people reported sicknesses related to the outbreak. Only one fatality has been reported so far, but 64 of the 149 reported cases have included hospitalizations. The specific origin of the outbreak is still unknown, though it has been traced to the Yuma, Arizona region. The CDC still recommends not eating any kind of romaine unless you are absolutely sure it is not from this region.
UPDATE: April 30, 2018 at 4:20 p.m.
The E. coli outbreak concerning romaine lettuce has spread beyond pre-chopped lettuce. The CDC now recommends avoiding whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, baby romaine, organic romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce until further notice.
Nearly 100 people have been reported ill across 22 states; most recently, cases from Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Tennessee were added to list. There have been no deaths related to the outbreak, but there have been 46 hospitalizations.
The exact source for all the contaminated lettuce is still not known, but the CDC recommends avoiding romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, Arizona area, and suggests not eating romaine if you can't determine where it was grown. Restaurants are advised to follow the same precautions.
ORIGINAL POST: April 16, 2018 at 4:47 p.m.
An outbreak of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce has spread to 11 U.S. states, leading to 35 reported infections from March 22 through March 31. People affected range from 12 to 84 years old, and 22 people have been hospitalized. Three people have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, but no deaths have been reported.
The CDC first announced it was investigating the outbreak last week, when it had only affected seven states. Now, they have narrowed down the cause to lettuce grown from the Yuma, Arizona growing region, but they have not identified a grower, supplier, distributor, or brand. This outbreak is not connected to another recent outbreak linked to leafy greens.
Officials at the CDC advise if you have any store-bought chopped romaine lettuce at home, including salads and salad mixes, throw it all away and do not eat it, even if you’ve already had some of it and didn’t get sick, and even if you’re not sure if your lettuce is romaine or another variety.
Once you throw it away, wash and sanitize the area of your refrigerator where it was stored. And before you buy any romaine lettuce or eat it at a restaurant, check to make sure the lettuce does not come from the Yuma, Arizona region. If you can’t figure out where it’s from, don’t eat it.
Symptoms of E. coli infections include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting, and most people recover within a week. Infections are most common in young children, older adults, and people with weaker immune systems. If you have symptoms of an E. coli infection, the CDC advises you to talk to your doctor, write down what you ate the week before you got sick, and report your illness to the health department.
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