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Over the past few months, several people in the United States and Canada have fallen ill from a strain of E. coli bacteria that is believed to have originated from romaine lettuce that has been recently sold.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infections occurred in 15 states - including New York - and in total, 24 infections were reported stateside between Nov. 15 and Dec. 28. Nine were hospitalized and there was one fatal case in the United States, and a second in Canada.Romaine lettuce was identified as the source of the outbreak in Canada, according to Yonkers-based Consumer Reports and officials advised that the product should be avoided for a stretch, until the outbreak can be sourced and handled. The strain of E. coli can lead to serious illness, kidney failure or death.
Symptoms of E. coli include stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Others may endure a minor fever. As of Friday morning, the Food and Drug Administration has yet to issue a recall of romaine lettuce in the United States.
Officials said that state and local health officials continue to interview sick people in the United States to determine what they ate in the week before their illness started.
"Currently, no common supplier, distributor or retailer of leafy greens has been identified as a possible source of the outbreak, the CDC continues to work with regulatory partners in several states, at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to identify the source."
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