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Romaine Lettuce Said to be Unsafe to Eat by CDC
- Tayler Harris
- Nov 20, 2018
- 2 min read
Romaine lettuce is unsafe for consumption in any form according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) due to possible E. coli contamination. There are 13 people are in the hospital due to this illness.
Romaine Lettuce Linked to a Multi-State Outbreak of a Threatening Strain of E. coli
With just two days left until Thanksgiving Day, Americans across the nation have been stocking their kitchens. However, one item that should not be on the grocery list this season is romaine lettuce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put out an official food safety alert stating the dangers of the leafy vegetable. According the notice, a particularly dangerous strain of E. coli has been found in romaine lettuce. This especially harmful E. coli strain is E. coli O157:H7. Therefore, all romaine lettuce across all brands has been recalled. Restaurants are also unable to serve anything that contains romaine lettuce.
Romaine lettuce is the likely source of the outbreak of this strain of E. coli. However, there have not been any discoveries as to when, where or how the lettuce was contaminated. Therefore, all types of romaine lettuce remain unsafe.
The CDC is advising anyone who has romaine lettuce in their home not to consume it and to throw it away. It does not matter what form the lettuce is in. Chopped, whole head, baby romaine, or even if it is included in a packaged mix, it could still be dangerous.
Who does this outbreak affect?
As of November 20, 2018 there have been 32 people across 11 states that have infected with this strain of E. coli from contaminated romaine lettuce.
Here is list of states:
California
Connecticut
Illinois
Massachusetts
Maryland
Michigan
New Hampshire
Ohio
New Jersey
Wisconsin
New York
No deaths have been reported, but 13 people are currently in the hospital. Of those in the hospital, there is 1 case where the person has developed kidney failure. There are also reports of the same sickness spreading across Canada. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 18 people have gotten sick from romaine lettuce with the same symptoms.
According to the CDC, this year’s outbreak has the same DNA footprint as a similar event that happened around this time in 2017. The 2017 E. coli outbreak was also caused by E. coli contamination on romaine lettuce.
What is E. coli O157:H7?
This is a form of E. coli that produces a toxin called the Shiga toxin. Consuming contaminated and raw food causes this illness. E. coli is linked to contaminated, green vegetables, under-cooked meat and raw milk.
Common symptoms include diarrhea and abdominal cramps. However, it is normal to have little to no fever. The sickness often goes away on its own within 5 to 10 days, but this illness commonly affects each person differently.
Avoid potentially spending the holidays in the hospital by immediately getting rid of any romaine lettuce in your home. Then, be sure to wash your hands and clean any surface that may have come in contact with the lettuce.
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