2 More Washington E. coli Cases Linked To California Romaine

SEATTLE, WA — A total of four King County residents have fallen ill with E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas area of California. Public Health announced the latest two cases Tuesday. Both people were adults and became sick on Dec. 1.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking the national outbreak on Nov. 22, and consumers are still urged to avoid all romaine lettuce marked as originating from the Salinas, California growing region. Since product labels often do not say where lettuce is grown, shoppers should steer clear of any romaine products not clearly identified as coming from somewhere else.

King County's first E. coli case linked to the outbreak was identified on Nov. 22, and the person was believed to have consumed the leafy greens here in Washington. A second case, which led to a hospitalization, was confirmed a few days later.

According to the CDC, at least 138 E. coli cases in 25 states have been linked to the Salinas-grown lettuce, including 72 cases that required hospitalization. No deaths have been tied to the outbreak.

King County Public Health updates

CDC national outbreak information page