CDC Warns Not to Eat Romaine Lettuce Amid Another E. coli Outbreak

Federal food safety officials have warned consumers to stay away from romaine lettuce after another deadly E. coli outbreak across North America.

Outbreak Alert: Do not eat any romaine lettuce, including whole heads and hearts, chopped, organic and salad mixes with romaine until we learn more. If you don’t know if it’s romaine or can’t confirm the source, don’t eat it. https://t.co/NrFOIxG8hx pic.twitter.com/FuzkHv4bd3

— CDC (@CDCgov) November 20, 2018

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Agency of Canada, a total of at least 50 people have been sickened and 19 of them are hospitalized.

This warning comes just eight months after the deadly outbreak centered around the Yuma, Ariz. cultivation region. U.S. and Canadian officials do not believe the two outbreaks are related; however, they are reporting that this strain of E. coli mimics the genetic fingerprint of an earlier strain found in Canada in 2017.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the CDC advised that:

• Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick.
• Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing romaine.
• Consumers should take action if they are experiencing symptoms of an E. coli infection