Health officials in the U. S. and Canada are advising consumers to not eat any romaine lettuce. The food safety alert was issued…
Health officials in the U. S. and Canada are advising consumers to not eat any romaine lettuce.
The food safety alert was issued concerning a new multi-state outbreak of E. coli-related illness related to romaine consumption, including some cases in Michigan.
The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and state health officials in the U. S. and Canada have also told retailers and restaurants to not to serve or sell anything with romaine until the outbreak is investigated.
No grower, brand or supplier or region has been identified as a common source of the outbreak.
Some safety tips from health officials:
The outbreak has hit 11 states, sickening 32 people, including seven in Michigan. Thirteen people have been hospitalized due to E. coli linked to romaine. There have been no reported deaths, but one person has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. Affected states are: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Symptoms of this strain of E. coli include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), severe stomach cramps and vomiting.
Here is the CDC’s advice if you’re experiencing symptoms indicating E. coli infection:
“The quick and aggressive steps we’re taking today are aimed at making sure we get ahead of this emerging outbreak, to reduce risk to consumers, and to help people protect themselves and their families from this foodborne illness outbreak. This is especially important ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, when people will be sitting down for family meals,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M. D.
The CDC is recommending that health care professionals not prescribe antibiotics for patients with E. coli O157 infection.
The CDC says that some studies have shown that administering antibiotics to those infected could “increase risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (a type of kidney failure), and the benefit of antibiotic treatment has not been clearly demonstrated.”
Contact food writer, Susan Selasky at 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
