Lettuce E. Coli Outbreak Hits U.S. for Third Year

 Posted on November 27, 2019 in E. Coli

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 67 people have become sick since Sept. 24 due to E. coli found in romaine lettuce. Consumers are warned to not eat romaine that was grown in Salinas, California, and to avoid purchasing romaine if it does not say where it was grown. According to the CDC, 39 people have been hospitalized, with six of those patients developing kidney failure. Illnesses have been reported across 19 states, including one person in Illinois who was hospitalized. The CDC is still investigating the source of the contamination and whether products from other areas are contaminated.

History of Outbreaks

This is the third consecutive year that the same strain of E. coli has been linked to leafy greens sold in the U.S.:

• In 2017, 25 people in 15 states became ill with E. coli between Nov. 5 and Dec. 12, with one patient in California dying. The CDC identified leafy greens as the likely source of the outbreak based on patient interviews but were unable to identify a specific type of leafy green that was responsible.
• In 2018, 62 people in 16 states were infected with E. coli between Oct. 7 and Dec. 4, with 25 of them being hospitalized. Investigators traced the contamination back to a water reservoir for a farm in Santa Barbara, California, which provided romaine lettuce for retailers and restaurants. The CDC was unsure of why there was E. coli in the water supply and in which ways the water contaminated the lettuce.

Lettuce and E. Coli

It is imperative to throw out lettuce that is believed to have been contaminated by E. coli and to sterilize the drawer that it was in. People usually show symptoms from an E. coli infection after three or four days, which commonly include stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. Scientists and lettuce growers do not know what is causing the continued E. coli contaminations or how to prevent them. Suspected causes include:

• The proximity of livestock to the fields
• The lettuce harvest occurring around the same time that nearby fields are prepared for the spring with manure and compost
• Insufficient water testing procedures and sanitation equipment
• The possibility that the funnel shape of the lettuce causes bacteria to become trapped

Contact an Arlington Heights, Illinois, Food Poisoning Lawyer

If you have been diagnosed with food poisoning, it is important to remember what foods you recently ate that may have caused your illness. Tracing the poisoning back to its source may allow you to collect compensation from the party that was responsible. Schedule a consultation with a Chicago food poisoning attorney at Newland & Newland, LLP, by calling 312-981-0409.

Source:

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/o157h7-11-19/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/why-romaine-lettuce-keeps-getting-recalled-for-e-coli-contamination/2019/11/26/f20e7592-0fc4-11ea-b0fc-62cc38411ebb_story.html