Lettuce E.Coli Outbreak: 5 Dead in US

E.coli outbreak in the US involving romaine lettuce raises the death toll to five and about 197 illness cases in 35 states have been recorded.

E.coli outbreak in the US involving romaine lettuce, kills five people and 197 cases reported across 35 states, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The outbreak was first reported on March 13, reports CNN.

Current E. Coli Outbreak Reaches 11 States Affecting 35 People in the US
E.coli’s outbreak reported last week has now reached a surprisingly higher group of people (35) in the United States and the romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, Arizona has been found to be the cause of the spread.

‘E.coli outbreak in the US involving romaine lettuce raises the death toll to five. Symptoms such as watery or bloody diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting may develop about three to four days after consuming the bacteria.’

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is investigating the outbreak alongside the CDC, believes that the probable link to all these illnesses is romaine lettuce sourced from the winter growing areas in and around the Yuma region in Arizona.

Romaine lettuce from this area is no longer available in stores or restaurants, according to the FDA.

Symptoms, which begin about three to four days after consuming the bacteria, can include watery or bloody diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting, according to the CDC.

Seven States in the US Report Positive E. Coli Outbreak Cases
A Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157: H7 is what is causing E. Coli outbreaks in the U.S. This outbreak has now spread to seven states (Washington, Idaho, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut) in the past four weeks.

Most people infected by the bacteria get better within five to seven days.

Of the total 187 patients for whom information was available, 89 (or 48 percent) were hospitalized, including 26 who developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.

No Risk of Heart Disease for People Who Became Ill During E. Coli Outbreak
E. coli O157:H7 is a common cause of 'food poisoning'.

This is the largest outbreak of its kind since a deadly E.coli outbreak in 2006 that was linked to spinach, CNN reported.

Unlike spinach, which is often cooked, romaine -- and lettuce in general -- is more common as a culprit in E.coli outbreaks because it's eaten raw.

Code of German E. Coli Outbreak Cracked by UM School of Medicine Institute for Genome Sciences
The genomic code of the E. coli bacterium that caused the ongoing deadly outbreak in Germany that began in May 2011 has been unraveled by a team

Source-IANS