The outbreak widened this week, and officials are now warning US consumers to stay away from all types of romaine lettuce — including whole heads and hearts, chopped, and store-bought romaine lettuce purchased either on its own or in a salad mix — unless the source of the product is known. So far 53 people have gotten sick, including 31 people who were hospitalized, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Friday. Several new cases in Alaska prompted the CDC to expand its warning to cover all types of romaine lettuce.There have been no deaths yet, but in the past week alone, 18 new cases and nine more hospitalizations have been reported, including two people who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a dangerous type of kidney failure.Escherichia coli (E. coli) are bacteria commonly found in the digestive tract of people and animals. These germs can make you sick if they contaminate food, but some — such as E. coli O157:H7, the strain in this outbreak — produce a toxin that can be potentially life-threatening. These are called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC. Most strains cause severe diarrhea, but some can cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and kidney problems, according to the CDC. You can get exposed to E. coli from contaminated water or food, or through contact with fecal material from people or animals.
Original source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolinekee/romaine-lettuce-e-coli-outbreak.
