E. coli Infections Linked to Romaine Lettuce from Arizona

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) – Public health officials on Friday said that an E. coli outbreak that has affected people in 11 states, including Idaho, is linked to chopped romaine lettuce from Yuma, Ariz.

So far eight people in Idaho have become sick with E. coli infections, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

All eight people who have become ill report eating romaine lettuce in the 10 days prior to becoming ill. Three individuals were hospitalized, and two have developed kidney failure linked to the E. coli infection. All hospitalized individuals were adults between the ages of 20 and 55. No deaths have been linked to this outbreak.

The department says that the infected lettuce had been consumed both in homes and at restaurants. For now, health officials in Idaho and with the Centers for Disease Control are advising people to not eat pre-chopped lettuce from Yuma, Ariz.

“No common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand has been identified yet,” the department said in a news release, advising “people who have pre-chopped romaine lettuce from Yuma or an unknown source to throw it out, even if they have previously consumed the romaine without becoming ill.”

E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal cramps, vomiting and low-grade fever. To learn more, visit this CDC webpage.