A specific food has not yet been confirmed as the source of this outbreak, but many sick people reported eating sandwiches with romaine lettuce at Wendy’s restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania before getting sick, the CDC said. An illness related to the outbreak was also reported in Indiana.
Wendy's said in a statement that it's "fully cooperating with public health authorities on their ongoing investigation," and was removing romaine lettuce as a precautionary measure from sandwiches in the region.
"Wendy’s uses a different type of romaine lettuce for salads," the CDC said. "Investigators are working to confirm whether romaine lettuce is the source of this outbreak, and whether romaine lettuce used in Wendy’s sandwiches was served or sold at other businesses."
There is no evidence to indicate that romaine lettuce sold in grocery stores, served in other restaurants, or in people’s homes is linked to this outbreak, said the CDC.
E. coli symptoms are:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
- Bloody diarrhea
- So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
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