One Texan Sickened By E. Coli Infected Lettuce

A recent outbreak of E. coli infections spread by romaine lettuce has made its way to Texas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

Since it began, the outbreak has spread to 25 states, sickening 121 people and killing one.

Those who have been sickened range in age from 1-88 years, with a median age of 30, and about two in three of those who have become ill are women, the CDC said.

No recalls have been issued since the recall began. The New York Times reports investigators from the CDC have been unable to find the source of the contamination.

The CDC warns against buying leafy greens grown in the Yuma, Arizona, growing region. Among these products are baby and organic romaine, salad mixes, whole head, chopped lettuce and hearts of romaine.

An infection of the E. coli strian causes a buildup of a toxin called Shiga, which can cause symptoms such as severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and fever, the Dallas Morning News reports.

The toxin can be life-threatening for some infected people and can cause dangerous kidney failure symptoms in others.

The CDC recommends a number of measures to help prevent spread of the sickness:

• Wash your hands. E. coli infections can spread from one person to another. Wash hands after using the restroom or changing diapers, before and after preparing or eating food, and after contact with animals.
• Don’t prepare food or drink for others when you are sick.
• Cook meats thoroughly to kill harmful germs. Cook steaks and roasts to at least 145˚F and let rest for 3 minutes after you remove meat from the grill or stove. Cook ground beef and pork to at least 160˚F. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the meat.
• Don’t cross-contaminate food preparation areas. Thoroughly wash hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils after they touch raw meat.

The CDC did not clarify in which Texas city the infection was reported.

More information on the location of the E. coli outbreaks can be found here.

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