Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Outbreak Spreads to Tennessee
May 13th, 2010 ksager
The shredded romaine lettuce E. coli O145 outbreak has spread to Tennessee. In all, 23 people in four states were sickened and another 7 cases are suspected, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Aside from one confirmed case in Tennessee, E. coli O145 struck New York (4 confirmed and 3 probable), Michigan (10 confirmed and 3 probable) and Ohio (8 confirmed and 1 probable). All became ill before late April.
Although no deaths have been reported, twelve persons have been hospitalized with three suffering from a potentially life threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition in which the body’s blood-clotting mechanisms are altered, causing blocked circulation or bleeding in the brain or kidneys.
E. coli O145 is a rare strain of the disease that is difficult to diagnose, thus, the disease often goes unreported. Symptoms can range from none to mild diarrhea to extreme complications. Acute symptoms include severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea, which might be bloody, but patients sometimes progress to serious complications, such as kidney damage.
The FDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourage anyone who has experienced these symptoms to immediately contact his/her health care provider.
Last week, Freshway Foods voluntarily recalled certain romaine lettuce products because of a possible connection to the E. coli O145 outbreak. On Monday, Vaughn Foods of Moore, Oklahoma also issued a call back of shredded romaine lettuce supplied by California-based Andrew Smith Co.
Andrew Smith Co. declined to affirm if they supplied romaine lettuce to Freshway Foods, but said it did sell the product to a Massachusetts distributor, which the company did not identify because the lettuce was past its expiration date.
Most of the lettuce involved in these recalls was sold to food service establishments. The recall does not affect bagged grocery store lettuce.
The Food & Drug Administration is investigating a Yuma, Arizona farm where the romaine lettuce was harvested and is attempting to ascertain the point in the supply chain where the contamination occurred. The agency declined to identify the farm.
