Last week the Center for Disease Control recalled 91, 388 pounds of raw ground turkey, due to salmonella contamination, and now this. The CDC issued an alert recalling all romaine lettuce products, due to a new E. coli outbreak. Just two days before Thanksgiving.
Since the types of romaine lettuce containing the outbreak have yet to be determined, the CDC is urging people in the United States and Canada to throw all variations of the lettuce in the trash. There have been no deaths linked to the outbreak, but multiple people have suffered illnesses. There have been 32 people in 11 states in the US that have become ill, 18 people in Quebec and Ontario have become sick, and 13 people in the US have been hospitalized as a result of consumption.
The new strain of E. coli, O157:H7, is similar to the outbreak that happened back in 2017. The most recent case was Oct. 31. Chances of contracting the outbreak from the lettuce is high, because the food is typically eaten while raw.
Most cases of sickness linked to the E. coli outbreak stem from California.
According to reports posted by the US Food and Drug Administration, one person has died from the salmonella contamination associated to the raw turkey recall.
A report from the FDA urges that, “Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away.”
Symptoms for E. coli may include severe stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea. However, most people recover in five to seven days, says the CDC.