Romaine lettuce is likely source of E. coli outbreak across 13 states
MILWAUKEE -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce that has sickened at least 58 people in the U.S. and Canada.
In the U.S., seventeen illnesses across 13 states have been connected to the outbreak. The states include: California (3), Connecticut (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Michigan (1), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (2), New York (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), Virginia (1), Vermont (1) and Washington (1).
According to the CDC, five people in the U.S. have been hospitalized and one has died.
In Canada, 41 cases have been reported, and one person has died.
Consumer Reports says people should stop eating romaine lettuce until the cause of the outbreak is identified and the tainted product is removed from store shelves.
The consumer advocacy group is now calling on the Food and Drug Administration and CDC to do more to warn the public about the dangers of the outbreak.
On its website, the CDC said it is currently "unable to recommend" whether people should avoid the food:
"Because we have not identified a source of the infections, CDC is unable to recommend whether U.S. residents should avoid a particular food. This investigation is ongoing, and more information will be released as it becomes available."