The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising Americans to not eat any romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants to not sell it, while it investigates the multi-state outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli infections that have been linked to the lettuce.
The CDC warning includes all types of the lettuce, including whole heads, hearts, bags of pre-cut romaine and salad mixes that contain it. If you are unsure, the CDC says, "Do not eat it, and throw it away. It also suggests washing and sanitizing drawers and shelves where romaine was stored.
The warning comes after 32 people in 11 states have become sick from eating the contaminated product. None of the cases have been in Kentucky. Also of concern, Canada has reported 18 people infected with the same strain of E.coli. The illnesses range from Oct. 8 to Oct. 31 and no deaths have been reported.
The CDC notes that symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli vary, but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), vomiting, and sometimes a low-grade fever. Most people will get better in five to seven days, but others can have severe, life-threatening infections. The illness can start anywhere from one to 10 days of infection.
If you believe you have an E.coli infection, call your health-care provider, write down what you ate in the week before you got sick, report your illness to the health department, and be prepared to answer questions about your illness.
The current outbreak is not related to another recent multistate outbreak of E.coli related to romaine lettuce, says the CDC.
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| CDC photo |
The warning comes after 32 people in 11 states have become sick from eating the contaminated product. None of the cases have been in Kentucky. Also of concern, Canada has reported 18 people infected with the same strain of E.coli. The illnesses range from Oct. 8 to Oct. 31 and no deaths have been reported.
The CDC notes that symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli vary, but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), vomiting, and sometimes a low-grade fever. Most people will get better in five to seven days, but others can have severe, life-threatening infections. The illness can start anywhere from one to 10 days of infection.
If you believe you have an E.coli infection, call your health-care provider, write down what you ate in the week before you got sick, report your illness to the health department, and be prepared to answer questions about your illness.
The current outbreak is not related to another recent multistate outbreak of E.coli related to romaine lettuce, says the CDC.
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