UPDATE: June 4, 2018 at 3:15 p.m.
Five U.S. deaths have now been reported in relation to the E. coli romaine lettuce outbreak. In the CDC's latest update, the case count climbed to 197 total illnesses, with 89 hospitalizations and five deaths. Cases now include residents of North Carolina, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
This report came after the FDA reported romaine safe to eat again (it can take two to three weeks before an illness is reported to the CDC). In a blog post from May 31, the FDA posted said this: "Any contaminated product from the Yuma growing region has already worked its way through the food supply and is no longer available for consumption. So any immediate risk is gone." While the CDC confirms it's unlikely any lettuce from the Yuma, AZ region is still in stores or restaurants, the investigation into the outbreak is still ongoing.
It's important to note that some of the recent illnesses reported were from people who did not consume romaine lettuce, but rather had close contact with someone who got sick from eating the lettuce. If you notice symptoms of E. coli poisoning, such as diarrhea, vomiting, or fever, speak to a doctor immediately.
ORIGINAL POST: May 4, 2018 at 10:11 a.m.
The first death related to the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak has been reported. The CDC announced Wednesday that a person in California died from illness related to the outbreak, but provided no additional details on the person or the circumstances of their death.
The outbreak, which was first reported in early April, has now caused 121 people to become sick, with 52 hospitalized. The CDC is still not sure where exactly the outbreak spread from, other than its location somewhere in the Yuma, AZ region. So far, people from 25 states have been affected, with the highest number of cases reported in California (24) and Pennsylvania (20).
It can take two to eight days for someone to get sick after swallowing the germ, the CDC says, and symptoms include bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, and vomiting. Most people recover within one week, but other infections can be severe to life-threatening. This particular outbreak has resulted in unusually high rates of hospitalization, TIME reports.
The CDC continues to urge the public not to eat romaine lettuce unless they can confirm it is not from the Yuma region.
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