According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), romaine lettuce from California has been linked to the ongoing E. coli outbreak, which has infected 67 people across 19 states.
On Tuesday, CDC officials have recommended people to avoid eating, purchasing, serving or selling romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, Cal., due to possible E. coli contamination.
One should avoid all types of romaine lettuce grown in that area, including organic romaine, whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, as well as romaine wrapped in salads.
The CDC tweeted, “OUTBREAK UPDATE: Do not eat, sell, or serve romaine lettuce from the Salinas growing region. If you don’t know or can’t tell where the lettuce is from, don’t eat it. 67 ill people reported from 19 states. Find out how to identify this lettuce.”
The officials also advised people to avoid using packages of pre-cut lettuce and salads containing romaine.
Of 67 people infected with E. coli, 39 people have been hospitalized and six developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. However, no deaths have been reported so far.
The officials confirmed that the lab tests of romaine lettuce from Salinas made people sick. People are advised to check where their lettuce comes from by checking the label that shows where it has been grown. The CDC advised throwing it out if the label says “grown in Salinas.” The signs and symptoms of E. coli include vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Many people who are infected by E. coli recover within a week, but in rare cases, one may develop a severe infection.
