Romaine lettuce in the US and Canada may contaminated with E. coli, prompting Consumer Reports to warn grocery shoppers to steer clear of the leafy greens.
The bacteria has sickened at least 58 people in 13 states, and has led to the death of one person.
The CDC first reported the outbreak on December 28, but Consumer Reports is pushing officials to announce the danger more publicly.
The Canadian Health have warned against buying romaine, but the CDC ‘is still collecting information to determine whether there is a food item in common among sick people, including leafy greens and romaine,’ according to its statement.
Cases of E. coli infections have been reported in 13 states, according to the CDC’s latest data
The Public Health Agency of Canada wrote in public advisory that it has established that romaine lettuce is in fact the source of the outbreak there.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that the bacteria affecting Americans is ‘closely related genetically, meaning the ill people are more likely to share a common source of infection.’
People in the US first began getting sick with E. coli in November, though it was not until last month that the CDC had collected enough data to to establish that the illnesses were part of a larger outbreak.
Five people have been hospitalized and cases have now cropped up in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont and Washington state.
The bacteria has caused symptoms like bloody diarrhea for at least 17 people in those states and 41 people in eastern Canada.
If an E. coli infection goes untreated, it can cause the kidneys to fail, even leading to death, as was the case for one victim.
‘These illnesses indicate that contaminated romaine lettuce may still be on the market,’ the Public Health Agency of Canada warned in a statement.
The CDC has hesitated to issue such a definitive advisory, but Consumer Reports suggests that at risk groups should be particularly cautious about purchasing the popular lettuce.
E. coli bacteria exist naturally int the intestines, but some types, which grow best in raw meat and dairy products or on produce that gets contaminated by animal feces can make anyone sick.
Young and elderly people, as well as those that are already ill are particularly vulnerable to bad E. coli infections.
‘People in these groups should be particularly vigilant about avoiding romaine lettuce,’ said Consumer Reports director of food safety Dr James Rogers in the nonprofit’s report.
‘Even though we can’t say with 100 percent certainty that romaine lettuce is the cause of the E. coli outbreak in the US, a greater degree of caution is appropriate given that lettuce is almost always consumed raw,’ he added.