E. Coli Outbreak Hits 13 States, Including California
There’s a been an outbreak of E. coli in the U.S. and Canada that’s left two people dead, and romaine lettuce appears to be the culprit…
By austind03 on January 4, 2018
There’s a been an outbreak of E. coli in the U.S., and romaine lettuce appears to be the culprit…
According to Consumer Reports, 58 people in 13 states (as well as Canada) are sick with a strain of E. coli.
Health officials in Canada believe romaine lettuce to be the source of their outbreak, and they are advising citizens to avoid it for now. While U.S. health authorities are still investigating the cause, Consumer Reports is advising those in the U.S. to skip the produce as well.
James Rogers, Director of Food Safety and Research at Consumer Reports, said in a statement:
“Even though we can’t say with 100 percent certainty that romaine lettuce is the cause of the E. coli outbreak in the U.S., a greater degree of caution is appropriate given that lettuce is almost always consumed raw.”
As young children, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems are especially vulnerable, Rogers went on to say:
“People in these groups should be particularly vigilant about avoiding romaine lettuce.”
Sadly, this strain of E. coli is particularly dangerous; it produces a to a toxin that can cause kidney failure, severe illness, and even death. In the U.S., five people are now in the hospital and one has died. One person has also passed away in Canada.
Affected states include California, New York, Ohio, Washington, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Currently, there are no recalls in effect.
Are you going to avoid romaine lettuce now? Let us know in the comments.
To learn more, and to get the full list of states, head right here.
Also, you can head right here to learn about the Claire’s makeup recall.
