More threads by Daniel E.

Daniel E.

daniel@psychlinks.ca
Administrator
Romaine lettuce is not safe to eat, CDC warns U.S. consumers
November 20, 2018

Romaine lettuce could be contaminated and should be thrown away, CDC advises.

Romaine lettuce is unsafe to eat in any form, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday in a broad alert in response to a new outbreak of illnesses caused by a particularly dangerous type of E. coli contamination.

The CDC told consumers to throw away any romaine lettuce they may already have purchased. Restaurants should not serve it, stores should not sell it, and people should not buy it, no matter where or when the lettuce was grown. It doesn’t matter if it is chopped, whole head or part of a mix. All romaine should be avoided.

The CDC alert, issued just two days before Americans sit down for their Thanksgiving dinners, reported that 32 people in 11 states have become sick from eating contaminated romaine. Of those, 13 have been hospitalized, with one patient suffering from a form of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.

The origin of the outbreak is unknown and remains under investigation. The CDC did not limit the warning to romaine from any particular agricultural area.
A common strain of E.coli was detected in six of the sickened people, and appears to match the bacterial strain found in an outbreak of illnesses from contaminated leafy greens late last year that affected people in both the U.S. and Canada. That outbreak was declared over in January.

Five people died in the most recent major outbreak from contaminated romaine, which lasted from March to June of this year and led to 210 cases in 36 states. That outbreak was traced to the Yuma, Ariz. growing region, but investigators never conclusively determined the precise source.

All three outbreaks — the current one, the one from Yuma and the one from last year — are caused by contamination by this deadly strain called E. coli O157:H7. It produces a Shiga toxin that can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. Until the 1990s, most E. coli cases in humans came from eating contaminated hamburger. In more recent years, after reforms in the livestock industry, the outbreaks have been most often associated with leafy greens.
 

Daniel E.

daniel@psychlinks.ca
Administrator
Don't eat romaine lettuce in Ontario and Quebec until source of E. coli outbreak determined, officials say
November 20, 2018

The strain of E. coli bacteria that has prompted the Public Health Agency of Canada to warn people not to eat romaine lettuce in Ontario and Quebec is the same one that caused a similar outbreak last year, prompting questions about why the federal government has stopped short of issuing a mandatory recall.

"Basically it's lightning striking twice," said Prof. Keith Warriner, a microbiologist specializing in food safety at the University of Guelph, noting that the strain, E. coli O157, is particularly "virulent," meaning it makes people sick more often than other forms of the bacteria.

"It's worrying that it's the same strain [of E. coli as last year], which basically means it's the same source. And that means they never solved the problem," he said.

Since mid-October, there have been 18 confirmed cases of the bacterial infection in Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a notice posted on its website on Tuesday. Fifteen cases were in Quebec and three were in Ontario.

Although no deaths have been reported, six people have been hospitalized.

"Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that residents in other parts of Canada are affected by this outbreak," the notice said...

Under normal circumstances, health officials often advise people to throw away the outer leaves of romaine lettuce and wash the rest. But right now, with E. coli O157 around, people shouldn't take any risks, Warriner said, advising them to get rid of any romaine lettuce they have. It only takes a small number of the bacteria's cells to cause illness, so handling contaminated lettuce can spread infection, he said.

The Public Health Agency of Canada offers similar advice.

"Individuals in Ontario and Quebec should avoid eating romaine lettuce and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce until more is known about the outbreak and the cause of contamination," it said.
 

GaryQ

MVP
Member
I'm guessing since the source is US grown and they pretty much supply the whole Canadian chains that I may as well consider the 3 Romaine lettuce heads in my fridge a write off even here in Manitoba? :(
 
Replying is not possible. This forum is only available as an archive.
Top