E. Coli Outbreak Includes Illinois Case, Source Revealed

The source of a multi-state E.coli outbreak that has sickened 35 people, including one person in Illinois, has been revealed by federal health officials. The outbreak, which has impacted 11 states, was caused by chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region, the CDC said Friday.

A specific distributor or brand of lettuce has not yet been identified. The CDC investigation revealed most people who fell ill reported eating a salad at a restaurant, and romaine lettuce was the only common ingredient identified among the salads eaten. The restaurants in question said they used bagged, chopped romaine lettuce to make the salads.

Federal health officials announced the investigation into the outbreak earlier this week. At that time, no cases had been confirmed in Illinois, but that changed Friday, when a CDC report revealed one case in the Prairie State.

No one has died as a result of the illness, but 22 people have been hospitalized.

Illnesses started between March 22 and March 31, the CDC said. People between the age of 12 to 84 years have fallen ill from the bacteria.

The following 11 states are included in the outbreak:

• Pennsylvania (9 cases)
• Idaho (8 cases)
• New Jersey (7 cases)
• Connecticut (2 cases)
• New York (2 cases)
• Ohio (2 cases)
• Illinois (1 case)
• Michigan (1 case)
• Missouri (1 case)
• Virginia (1 case)
• Washington (1 case)

The CDC recommends anyone in the United States who has store-bought chopped romaine lettuce at home, including salads and salad mixes containing chopped romaine lettuce, should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick. "If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, do not eat it and throw it away," the CDC said.

Furthermore, before purchasing romaine lettuce at a grocery store or eating it at a restaurant, you should confirm with the store or restaurant that it is not chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region, the CDC said. "If you cannot confirm the source of the romaine lettuce, do not buy it or eat it."

At this time, ill people did not report eating whole heads or hearts of romaine.

People usually get sick from E.coli between two and eight days after swallowing the germ. Symptoms include diarrhea, severe stomach cramps and vomiting. Most people recover within one week, according to federal health officials.

Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe, resulting in a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, the CDC warned. "HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in young children under 5 years, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems."

Three people who were sickened in this outbreak have developed HUS, the CDC said.

Symptoms of HUS can include fever, abdominal pain, pale skin tone, fatigue and irritability, small, unexplained bruises or bleeding from the nose and mouth, and decreased urination. People who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

The CDC advises that anyone who has symptoms of E.coli should write down what they ate in the week before they became sick. The illness should be reported to the local health department.

The CDC offers these tips to avoid exposure to the bacteria:

• Wash your hands. Wash hands after using the restroom or changing diapers, before and after preparing or eating food, and after contact with animals.
• Cook meats thoroughly to kill harmful germs. Cook steaks and roasts to at least 145˚F and let rest for 3 minutes after you remove meat from the grill or stove. Cook ground beef and pork to at least 160˚F. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the meat.
• Don't cross-contaminate food preparation areas. Thoroughly wash hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils after they touch raw meat.
• Wash fruits and vegetables before eating, unless the package says the contents have been washed.
• Avoid raw milk, other unpasteurized dairy products, and unpasteurized juices.
• Don't prepare food or drink for others when you are sick.

Image via Shutterstock

By Kara Seymour, Patch National Staff