CDC update regarding Romaine Lettuce: Over 80 people sick from 19 States

The CDC released an update today regarding the outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce.

Updates:

  • Since the last case count update on April 18, 2018, 31 more ill people have been reported, bringing the total to 84 ill people from 19 states.
  • Forty-two people out of 78 with available information (54%) have been hospitalized, including nine who developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.
  • This is a higher hospitalization rate than usual for E. coli O157:H7 infections, which is usually around 30%. Health officials are working to determine why this strain is causing a higher percentage of hospitalizations.
  • No deaths have been reported.
  • Three more states have reported ill people: Colorado, Georgia, and South Dakota.
  • The latest illness started on April 12, 2018.

CDC’s advice remains the same:

  • Do not eat or buy romaine lettuce unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Arizona growing region. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region. Ask your suppliers about the source of their romaine lettuce.
  • If you do not know whether lettuce is romaine, do not eat it. This includes lettuce in a salad mix. Package labels often do not identify growing regions. CDC is advising consumers not to eat or buy romaine lettuce if they do not know where it was grown.
  • This advice includes whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce. People get sick from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli an average of 3 to 4 days after swallowing the germ. Most people get diarrhea (often bloody), severe stomach cramps, and vomiting.
  • Most people recover within a week, but some illnesses can last longer and be more severe.
  • Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms of an E. coli infection and report your illness to your local health department.
  • This investigation is ongoing, including work by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and state public health agencies to identify the source of the romaine lettuce.
  • Health officials will provide more information as it becomes available.

If you have further questions about this outbreak, please call the CDC media line at (404) 639-3286. If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.

This content, and any other content on TLS, may not be republished or reproduced without prior permission from TLS. Copying or reproducing our content is both against the law and against Halacha. To inquire about using our content, including videos or photos, email us at [email protected].

Stay up to date with our news alerts by following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

**Click here to join over 20,000 receiving our Whatsapp Status updates!**

**Click here to join the official TLS WhatsApp Community!**

Got a news tip? Email us at [email protected], Text 415-857-2667, or WhatsApp 609-661-8668.