Free consultation:
(612) 337-6126
Elliot Olsen’s experience representing people sickened by E. coli spans decades, and he has regained millions of dollars in compensation. If you or a family member got sick after eating chopped romaine lettuce, please call (612) 337-6126, or complete the following:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, AZ, region is the cause of a multistate E. coli outbreak.
“At this time, no common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand has been identified,” the CDC said in its online post.
The outbreak’s numbers have climbed to 35 people sickened in 11 states by Shiga-toxin producing E. coli O157:H7. Twenty-two of the victims have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. Three of the victims have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a dangerous complication of E. coli illness (see below).
The CDC is investigating the outbreak with the aid of several state organizations, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Chopped romaine lettuce:
CDC issues warning
The CDC is advising that anyone who purchased chopped romaine lettuce, including packages of salad mixes, should throw it away. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, the CDC said, throw it away.
Before buying romaine at a grocery store or eating it at a restaurant, consumers should confirm that it is not chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma area. If you cannot confirm the lettuce’s source, do not buy it or eat it.
Chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, region is the cause of a multistate E. coli outbreak in which 35 people have become sick, and 22 of them have been hospitalized.
Chopped romaine lettuce:
Outbreak began March 22
The CDC reports that illnesses started as far back as March 22. People who have become ill range in age from 12 to 84 years, with a median age of 29. Sixty-nine percent of the victims are female.
The 11 states affected in the outbreak are: Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. Pennsylvania has been the most affected, with nine illnesses reported.
Chopped romaine lettuce:
No link to earlier outbreak
This current E. coli outbreak is not related to a multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to leafy greens. The CDC said people sickened in that outbreak, which was declared over on Jan. 25, were infected with a different DNA fingerprint of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.
That outbreak claimed 25 victims in 15 states, with nine hospitalizations. One death was reported, in California.
Chopped romaine lettuce:
E. coli facts and figures
One of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States on a yearly basis is E. coli bacteria (Escherichia coli). E. coli are normally found in the intestines of mammals, and most strains are benign.
Some strains of E. coli can cause serious illness, and Shiga-toxin producing E. coli O157:H7 is one of the most common – and most dangerous.
Anyone can become infected, but people with the highest risk of becoming severely ill include: young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.
Symptoms of E. coli
E. coli illnesses produce symptoms that are similar to those of other foodborne pathogens. Those symptoms are:
- nausea and vomiting
- severe abdominal cramping
- diarrhea, which often can be bloody
- fever and fatigue
- loss of appetite
- decreased urination.
Symptoms usually last from five to 10 days, and most people recover without requiring treatment. Complications can arise, however, and produce dangerous consequences.
E. coli complication: HUS
As much as 10 percent of people infected with E. coli develop HUS, which can be life-threatening. The overwhelming majority of HUS cases involve children under the age of 5 years old, and the disease is the leading cause of acute kidney failure – or renal failure – for that age group.
HUS typically develops after a long bout with diarrhea. The bacteria damage red blood cells, which clog the kidney’s filtering system. If kidney failure results, a kidney transplant is a distinct possibility.
HUS is fatal 2 percent to 7 percent of the time – and those fatalities usually involve children.
HUS victims who survive can suffer long-term consequences, such as impaired kidney function or hypertension.
