Update, January 15, 2020 4:38 p.m.: The CDC announced Wednesday that it believes the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak, which began in November 2019, is now over. The agency said in a statement, the contaminated romaine from the Salinas, CA, region is likely no longer available so consumers no longer have to avoid any romaine lettuce.
All in all, 167 people became ill from 27 states, with 85 people hospitalized. There were no deaths reported as a result of the outbreak. The most recent illness was believed to be in the middle of December.
The FDA will continue its investigation in an effort to prevent future outbreaks. In the meantime, it looks like salad fans can breathe a little easier.
Update, December 20, 2019, 11:13 a.m.: The romaine lettuce outbreak is still ongoing and now the CDC has confirmed a total of 138 reported cases of E. coli from 25 states. Of those cases, 72 people have been hospitalized.
The CDC believes that the outbreak is still limited to romaine that was grown in the Salinas, CA, region. They believe it may be linked to "a common grower in Salinas" but the agency is still investigating.
Recalls that were issued earlier in the outbreak are still in effect and the most recent reported case of someone becoming ill was December 1. As a reminder, if you're going to eat romaine, make sure it's labeled with a growing region. If it says Salinas or doesn't have a label, the CDC is advising you not to eat it.
Update, December 9, 2019, 11:55 a.m.: As the CDC continues monitoring the latest romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak, more and more states are being added to the list. As of December 4, 23 states have been affected by the outbreak, with 102 people ill. Of those 102, there have been 58 people hospitalized.
Though the outbreak appears to be ongoing, the latest information still limits the outbreak to romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas Valley, CA, area, so consumers should still check labels and avoid romaine lettuce grown in this region.
Original: December 3, 2019 1:48 p.m. The CDC reported an outbreak of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce about a week ago, and the latest in their investigation revealed that 67 people have been infected—with 39 hospitalizations—in 19 states.
The highest number of cases reported have been in Wisconsin and Ohio. Of people infected, who range from 3 to 89 years old, six of them have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. No deaths have been reported.
Evidence the CDC gathered connects the outbreak to romaine lettuce harvested in Salinas, California. They advise customers to avoid buying all brands, types, and use-by dates of lettuce from this region. The types include: whole heads of romaine, organic romaine, hearts of romaine, romaine in salad wraps, and packages of pre-cut lettuce, and salad mixes that contain romaine (including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad).
To figure out what lettuce you should steer clear from, “look for a label showing where the romaine lettuce was grown,” the CDC said. “It may be printed on the package or on a sticker.”
If you can’t find the info you need to determine whether or not the lettuce is safe, it’s best to throw it away.
Those who sell and distribute romaine lettuce from the Salinas, CA, region have been advised to stop.
This isn't the first time this particular strain of E. coli caused an outbreak. In 2017 and 2018, the same strain of E. coli caused outbreaks connected to leafy greens and romaine lettuce.
