It has been reported that the E.Coli outbreak source has still not been identified. Twenty-five states have fallen ill, with over one hundred people sick and hospitalized.

The CDC warns, “Do not eat or buy romaine lettuce unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region.”

The issue we see is that E.Coli and other food poisoning is not just from salad, but in various fresh produces. It has been reported that one in six Americans get sick from food every year-typically foods we would never think twice about. Pre-packaged fruits and vegetables are becoming more popular but are the conveniences of a pre-packaged salad or fruit medley worth getting sick? When these packages are traveling around the US, it gives bacteria the opportunity to grow, which also makes tracking the point of outbreak hard to find.

The CDC has been able to identify the strain of Shiga-toxin producing E.Coli O157:H7 and it causes more severe illness. Ten hospitalized patients have developed an alarming kidney failure due to E.Coli. Everyone is susceptible to the disease as even children are being hospitalized.

This is the largest E.Coli outbreak since 2006 and it is a very serious case. Please avoid all lettuce in general.