Health Warning: Romaine Lettuce Unsafe In Any Form, CDC Warns After E Coli Outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control has urged everyone not to eat, buy, sell or serve romaine lettuce, which has been tied to a particularly dangerous form of e coli. Seven cases were reported in New Jersey -- the third-most in the nation.

Of the 53 cases reported, the CDC said, 31 patients had to be hospitalized. These include seven cases in New Jersey, 10 in Idaho and a dozen in Pennsylvania. Those are the highest amounts in 11 states.
Photo Credit: *Forest & Kim Starr*

Jerry DeMarco

11/20/2018 4:27 p.m.

Part of the warning issued Tuesday says:

"Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick.

"This includes all types or uses of romaine lettuce, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags and boxes of precut lettuce and salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad.

"If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine or whether a salad mix contains romaine, do not eat it and throw it away.

"Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where romaine was stored. Follow these five steps to clean your refrigerator.

"Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing romaine."

Inmates at a prison in Alaska fell sick after eating whole heads of romaine from Yuma, Ariz., the CDC said.

"Product labels often do not identify growing regions; so, throw out any romaine lettuce if you're uncertain about where it was grown," the CDC said.

Of the 53 cases reported, the CDC said, 31 patients had to be hospitalized. These include seven cases in New Jersey, 10 in Idaho and a dozen in Pennsylvania. Those are the highest amounts in 11 states.

No deaths were reported.

MORE: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index.html

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