Almost 100 People in US Sick Due to Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Outbreak: Key Symptoms + How to Protect Yourself!
In early April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised the red flag on the E. coli outbreak that had affected 17 people across 7 states.
As for now the number of people increased heavily and the problem remains unsolved. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Source: Getty Images
Dangerous romaine lettuce
According to the latest report, 31 more people have fallen ill from E. coli-contaminated romaine lettuce, that raises the total number of ill to 84 cases across 19 states from the beginning of outbreak.
Of those sickened, 42 have been hospitalized, a higher rate than usually seen in E. coli cases, and 9 of those patients have developed kidney failure, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday. Likely, no deaths have been reported.
The search for the source of the outbreak is traced to the Yuma, Arizona, however, no farm has been identified. According to the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, lettuce now in stores or at restaurants is probably from California’s Central Valley or Salinas Valley and has not been implicated in the outbreak.
The CDC urges consumers not to eat any romaine lettuce unless they know it is not from the Yuma area. That includes all kinds of lettuce, whether chopped, whole-head or in a salad mix. The CDC advises consumers to throw away any romaine that might be from the Yuma region even if some of it has been eaten already with no sign of illness.
Pennsylvania has been the hardest hit with 18 cases, followed by California with 13. Ten cases have been reported in Idaho, and seven or fewer cases each in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Virginia, and Washington.
Source: CDC
Symptoms and first signs
E. coli is a bacterium that can be present in animal or human feces. This particular strain of E. coli produces a Shiga toxin that causes severe symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea, and can also lead to kidney failure.
Keep in mind, that usually, the E.coli comes from eating contaminated food. You can prevent the infection by eating well-cooked foods, especially hamburger, and drinking treated or pasteurized fluids. Avoiding touching or eating any food that may be contaminated with any animal or human waste will help prevent the infection. Although washing produce can reduce some contamination, it doesn’t kill bacteria, so, unfortunately, won’t eliminate the risk.
Early symptoms of the infection
In case you notice some of these symptoms, immediately go to the hospital!
Early symptoms can include:
- abdominal cramping
- sudden, severe watery diarrhea that may change to bloody stools
- gas
- loss of appetite or nausea
- vomiting (uncommon)
- fatigue
- fever
- Stomach cramps
Later or late symptoms of E. coli infections may include some of the following (including death): hemorrhagic diarrhea (large amounts of blood in the stools), anemia, pale skin color, severe dehydration, little or no urine output, severe abdominal pains, easy bruising, fatigue, kidney failure, jaundice.
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