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Romaine lettuce is suspected to be the source of an E.coli outbreak in the US.
STATES CHRONICLE – An E. coli infections outbreak has been spreading across both Canada and the United States. Consumer Reports advice people to stay away from romaine lettuce until authorities will know for sure the cause of the outbreak.
The consumer advocacy group called on the FDA and the CDC, asking them to do more to let people know about this surge in E.coli infections.
Is Romaine Lettuce to Blame?
This E. coli outbreak has made 58 people sick in Canada and the US, and a person died. On December 28, the CDC gave its latest report about the outbreak stating that 17 people were sick. A further 41 cases were reported in Canada.
Authorities state that the cause of this E.coli outbreak is romaine lettuce. As such, this is also the primary suspect when trying to pinpoint the source of the US case.
As it is, US health officials are still trying to find the source of the problem. They are holding interviews to determine what the sick people ate the week before they got sick.
The outbreak could have been caused by another produce than the one which caused similar problems across the birder. Officials decided to test romaine lettuce too, just to be sure.
“Because we have not identified a source of the infections, CDC is unable to recommend whether U.S. residents should avoid a particular food,” states the CDC.
Most produce need to be cooked before they are eaten. Romaine lettuce and other leafy greens are not, so they could be the reason behind the outbreak.
The FDA mentioned that they can’t know for sure if the romaine lettuce was responsible for the outbreak. Agency officials stated that they need to investigate more in order and be sure before they blame a particular product for the outbreak. They mentioned that they would release a report after the cause of the outbreak is known.
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