Romaine Lettuce Recall 2010, Lettuce E. coli Outbreak Spreads, Tennessee Also On Radar
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and prevention today announced that an outbreak of food-borne illness linked to romaine lettuce has spread to four states, causing illness to at least 23 people.
The center added that Tennessee is the latest state to confirm a case of E. coli 0145. The outbreak has already affected people in Michigan, Ohio and New York. Last week, the CDC had reported 19 cases and today the center confirmed that cases rose to 23. The agency also reported seven other probable cases, which are yet to be confirmed.
No deaths have been reported so far to the illness, which is linked to tainted romaine lettuce grown on an Arizona farm. Freshway Foods and Vaughan Foods, two distributors of the above mentioned lettuce have already recalled bagged products.
The E. coli 0145, which can cause symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to abdominal cramps and bloody stool, was discovered by New York health authorities in a bag of Freshway Foods last week when they were investigating the outbreak of the illness in the schools.
