Throw Out All Types Of Romaine Lettuce, CDC Warns CA Consumers

The CDC is warning California consumers to not eat or buy romaine lettuce, unless they can confirm it was not grown in the Yuma, Arizona, region. In an update issued Friday to a multi-state E. Coli outbreak, the CDC said its warning includes whole heads and hearts of romaine lettuce, in addition to chopped romaine, salads and salad mixes containing romaine.

Health officials say that though only one case has been linked to the outbreak in California so far, it's still just as important to toss any romaine you have — unless you can confirm where it originated.

"Unless the source of the product is known, consumers anywhere in the United States who have any store-bought romaine lettuce at home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick," the CDC said in its warning Friday.

The CDC also said restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region.

"Product labels often do not identify growing regions; so, throw out any romaine lettuce if you're uncertain about where it was grown," the CDC said.

The CDC expanded its warning based on information from new illnesses reported in Alaska. Health officials interviewed those who had fallen ill at a correctional facility in Alaska and they reported eating romaine lettuce. The lettuce in question came from whole heads of romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region, the CDC said.

At least 53 people in 16 states have been infected with E.Coli in the outbreak. No deaths have been reported but 31 people have been hospitalized and five people developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.

So far, the states with the most confirmed cases are Pennsylvania with 12, followed by Idaho with 10, New Jersey with 7 and Montana with 6.

The Alaska cases are not included in the current case count.

You can find more information about the outbreak here.

Feroze Dhanoa, Patch National Staff contributed to this report