Stop eating romaine lettuce and get rid of what you have, it may be infected with E. coli bacteria, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What Happened
On October 8, a case of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 was reported in what was to become an outbreak of infections across the U.S. and parts of Canada.
Since then, 32 cases have been reported in 11 states across the U.S. and another 18 in Canada.
And this information may not reflect the entire picture as affected individuals only report their illness after two to three weeks of getting infected.
The onset of illness isn’t either sudden. Once swallowed, symptoms typically first start to surface within two to eight days.
Of the reported cases, 66 percent have been female, and 13 people have been hospitalized so far.
Age isn’t a factor, as the infection indiscriminately affected people from age seven all the way up to age 84 (the median age so far is 24). So all age groups are at risk.
An important note, New Jersey accounts for 3 of the 32 cases in the U.S. That’s 9.38 percent! So let’s not take any chances.
What to do
In addition to not eating romaine lettuce, clean any areas that have come into contact with the lettuce, says the CDC. They recommend sanitizing refrigerator shelves where romaine lettuce was stored, to decrease the risk of germs.
You should also get rid of any romaine lettuce you have including lettuce that you’ve already eaten without getting sick. This is true for romaine of all sorts, be it packaged, cut up, etc.
Kidney Failure Risk
E. coli O157:H7 has been associated with a form of kidney failure – hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). So don’t take any symptoms lightly.
This risk of kidney failure may increase when the infected person takes antibiotics. The CDC, therefore, urges people not to treat the infection with antibiotics, especially since there’s no evidence attesting to their efficacy.