Throw Away All Your Romaine Lettuce [updated]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently urging consumers, restaurants and retailers to throw away any shredded romaine lettuce . This includes store-bought sliced romaine lettuce in pre-made salad mixes. At least 35 people from 11 different states have been infected with E. coli , and the source has not yet been identified.
This post has been updated. See below.
All the CDC knows for sure at this point is to avoid lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona area. But since it is difficult to determine the origin of the salad on supermarket shelves and restaurants, the CDC advises you to just throw it all away, even if you are not sure if it is romaine lettuce.
The type of E. coli associated with this outbreak is O157: H7 , a potentially deadly strain, and the infection is widespread. At least 35 people from across the country, including Pennsylvania, Idaho, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, and Washington, fell ill . In total, 22 people were hospitalized, three of them have renal failure. All victims began showing symptoms between March 22 and 31, and it is likely that illnesses that began after this period have not yet been counted.
For now, play it safe and completely avoid romaine lettuce until the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration are fully clear. When it comes to E. coli , it’s better to play it safe than sorry.
Update (4/20/2018 – 5:00 p.m. EST) : The death toll from this E. coli outbreak recently jumped to 60 and continues to climb, and the exact source of the contaminated lettuce has yet to be identified. The CDC has now expanded its consumer warning by recommending that you avoid ALL types of romaine lettuce, including whole heads and hearts, from the Yuma, Arizona area. Again, since it is usually difficult to determine where romaine lettuce comes from, the CDC urges consumers to completely avoid buying or eating romaine lettuce. Whether you’re shopping for groceries or eating out, be careful to refrain from romaine lettuce for now.