INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE YUMA, ARIZONA TO BE THE SOURCE OF RECENT E. COLI OUTBREAK
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have recently been fifty-three E. coli infections reported in 16 states; 18 of which have been added to the CDC’s investigation in the past several days. While initial reports were centered in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest (i.e. Connecticut and Michigan), new cases have now been reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Montana, and Louisiana.
Fresh Foods Manufacturing of Freedom, Pennsylvania recalled nearly 4.5 tons of prepackaged salad products labeled “Great to Go by Market District” shipped to Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia that may have been contaminated.
Public health officials are warning consumers to refrain from purchasing grocery store and restaurant chopped romaine lettuce at this time. While the E. coli source has not been confirmed, investigators currently believe the chopped romaine lettuce is from Yuma, Arizona. If you have purchased romaine lettuce or ordered at a restaurant and do not know the region from which the lettuce was grown, do not eat it – THROW IT OUT.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson said, “Consumers anywhere in the United States who have store-bought chopped romaine lettuce at home, including salads and salad mixes containing chopped romaine lettuce, should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, do not eat it and throw it away.”
Numerous hospitalizations have been reported due to the recent E. coli outbreak, two of which reported developing the kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome.
While most E. coli bacteria are not harmful, E. coli O157: H7 produces a toxin called Shiga which destroys red blood cells, causes kidney failure and bloody diarrhea. Children under 5 years of age, adults over the age of 65, and those with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk for an E. coli infection.
If you or someone you know has been victim to the E. coli outbreak and experienced extreme illness due to store-bought or restaurant romaine lettuce, contact The Potts Law Firm to have your case examined by one of our experienced lawyers. Your consultation is free, and you owe nothing for attorney fees unless we win your case.