E.coli Cases Rise After Lettuce Recall In Virginia

VIRGINIA — At this point, everyone should have thrown away any romaine lettuce in their refrigerator. But E.coli cases in an outbreak linked to romaine lettuce have increased from 40 to 67, the Centers for Disease Control said in an update Tuesday.

The E.coli outbreak is linked to lettuce harvested from the Salinas, California, growing region. As a result, the CDC is warning consumers that they should not eat and retailers not sell any romaine lettuce harvested from that area. Store shelves were cleared of the lettuce by the weekend in most areas.

The CDC says 39 people have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak. Six people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. Nationwide, people in 19 states have fallen ill because of the bacteria. No deaths have been reported.

In Virginia, two E.coli cases have now been reported. The state with the highest number of cases is Wisconsin, where 21 cases have been reported.

All types of lettuce products are included in the recall: whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, packages of pre-cut lettuce, salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad.

Most romaine lettuce products are now labeled with a harvest location showing where they were grown. The label may be printed on the package or on a sticker.

Anyone who has romaine lettuce in their homes should check the packaging to see if "Salinas" is listed on the label. If it does, the CDC says to throw away the products and not eat them.

If a salad does not have the harvesting region listed on it, you should throw it away, the CDC said.
Pre-made salads may be impacted.

Missa Bay LLC, which is based in Swedesboro, New Jersey, recalled 97,272 pounds of salad products because the lettuce may be contaminated with E.coli. The products, some of which tested positive for E.coli O157:H7, were produced in October and include various ready-made salads sold under store brands from Walmart, Target, Aldi, Safeway and others.

People infected with STEC 0157:H7 develop diarrhea and vomiting. "Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended," according to federal authorities. Most people recover within a week, but a more-severe infection is possible.

You can find more information about symptoms of E.coli infection via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.