Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Linked Illnesses Increase In Texas

The number of people sickened with E. coli after eating romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas, California, area has grown to 102 people in 23 states, including Texas, government health officials said.

In Texas, four people have reported E. coli illnesses, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That compares to two people in the agency’s Nov. 26 report.

The affected states now include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Of the 102 people sickened nationwide, 58 have been hospitalized since the outbreak was reported a week before Thanksgiving. Of those, 10 people have experienced kidney failure due to a condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome. No deaths have been reported.

This year’s warning is almost identical to a romaine lettuce warning in 2018. The CDC advises “consumers not eat and retailers not sell any romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas, California, growing region.”

The agency’s advice is intended for all types of lettuce products: whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, packages of pre-cut lettuce, salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix and Caesar salad. Here’s a full list of the affected romaine lettuce products.

Anyone who has romaine lettuce in their homes should check the packaging to see if “Salinas” is listed on the label. If it is, the CDC says to throw away the products and not eat them.

If a salad does not have the harvesting region listed on it, the agency’s advice is to throw it away.

The same packaging advice applies to anyone shopping for romaine lettuce.

You can find more information about symptoms of E.coli infection via the CDC.

In the 2018 outbreak, the tainted lettuce was ultimately traced back to California. After having to issue such a broad warning in 2018, the Food and Drug Administration said new lettuce products entering the market would be labeled with a harvest location and date.

Most, but not all, romaine lettuce products are now labeled with a harvest location showing where they were grown.