E. coli contamination widespread, affects all ages
A teenager in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is one of the latest to fall ill after consuming romaine lettuce contaminated with e. coli. The outbreak has now affected 60 people in 16 states, approximately half of whom have been hospitalized because of the severity of their symptoms. Pennsylvania has seen the most cases of confirmed illnesses directly related to the consumption of contaminated romaine lettuce.
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has expanded its warning to consumers to cover all types of romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region. This warning now includes whole heads and hearts of romaine lettuce, in addition to chopped romaine and salads and salad mixes containing romaine. CDC has indicated that the expanded warning is based on information from newly reported illnesses in Alaska. Ill people in Alaska reported eating lettuce from whole heads of romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region.
Consumers should not buy or eat romaine lettuce at a grocery store or restaurant unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region. Unfortunately, product labels often do not identify growing regions; so, throw out any romaine lettuce if you’re uncertain about where it was grown. This includes whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, do not eat it.
E. coli contamination produces symptoms that can include abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, and more severe symptoms in some cases. E. coli generally appears three to four days after the initial infection, though in some cases, symptoms don’t appear for over a week.
If you have been a victim of the romaine lettuce e. coli outbreak, contact food poisoning lawyers at 1-888-335-4901 to learn more about your legal options. Contact us to discuss whether you should file a
Romaine lettuce e. coli lawsuit
or claim.