Amid the ongoing multistate E.coli outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded its public warning to cover all types of romaine lettuce. So far, no common grower, brand, distributor, or supplier has been identified as the specific source of the outbreak.
Warning Expansion
Based on new information from the investigations in Alaska, the CDC has expanded its warning regarding the ongoing E.coli outbreak that has affected 16 states so far. The latest update comes after state and local officials in Alaska interviewed sick people at a correctional facility regarding the foods that they consumed as well as the possible exposures they had before they got sick.
Evidently, investigations revealed that the people who fell ill also got their sickness from eating romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region, just like the others who fell ill. However, compared to others, these patients consumed whole heads of romaine lettuce whereas most of the others who fell ill consumed romaine lettuce from restaurant salads that were made from bagged, chopped romaine lettuce. In fact, just two days before the latest outbreak update, the CDC reported that none of the ill people reported eating whole heads or hearts of romaine lettuce.
It is because of this new information that the CDC has expanded its warning to include all types of romaine lettuce.
CDC Advise To Consumers, Restaurants And Retailers
Because most of the people who fell ill evidently got their sickness from consuming restaurant salads, the CDC recommends restaurants and retailers to know where their supply of romaine lettuce comes from, and if it is from the Yuma, Arizona region, to not sell or serve them to customers.
The same advice goes for consumers, as the CDC advises consumers from anywhere in the United States to not buy or consume any romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona region. Further, if the romaine lettuce has an unknown source, the CDC recommends not eating the product and throwing it away even if no one has gotten sick or if it has already been partially eaten. If unsure whether the store-bought lettuce is romaine, the CDC recommends throwing it away.
For further safety, it is also advised to wash and sanitize the drawers or shelves where the romaine lettuce was stored.
The CDC recommends going to a healthcare provider if E.coli infection symptoms begin to show, and to report the illness to the health department.
Multistate Outbreak
So far, 53 E.coli infections have been reported from 16 states, 31 of the cases involving hospitalization. No deaths have been reported.
