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.
‘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.
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.
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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.
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