The new E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce is continuing to grow with cases in four of the states bordering West Virginia, but so far Monongalia and Preston counties, as well as the state for that matter, remain unaffected.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said consumers should not eat and retailers should not sell romaine lettuce from the Salinas, Calif., growing region. The CDC said most romaine products are labeled where they are grown, and if there is no label from a growing region, then throw the lettuce away.
Despite the CDC warning, there is no reason to panic, local health officials said.
“If a restaurant or market says the romaine lettuce is not from the area affected by the E. coli outbreak, which is Salinas, Calif., then there wouldn’t be reason for consumers not to believe that,” said Mary Wade Triplett, the public information officer at the Monongalia County Department of Health, in an email.
“There are other romaine lettuce growing regions in the country.”
The CDC said its warning is for all romaine lettuce products from the Salinass Calif. region, including salad wraps, precut lettuce and salad mixes which contain romaine. The warning also includes baby romaine, spring mix and Caesar salad. Kroger removed romaine from the shelves of its Mid-Atlantic stores, including West Virginia, following a CDC Nov. 23 advisory, the company said.
E. coli bacteria outbreaks from contaminated lettuce have been reported in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio, where a total of 28 people have taken ill. Overall, 102 cases have been reported, including 58 hospitalizations, the CDC said.
Typically, E. coli is in the intestines and can help keep the digestive tract healthy. Some strains of the bacteria, however, produce a toxin called Shiga, the CDC said.
If a person eats produce that has been tainted by water with this bacteria, then it usually takes three to five days for symptoms — including severe abdominal pain, as well as diarrhea and respiratory illnesses and, sometimes, pneumonia — to occur.
“Consumers also should always wash fruits and vegetables before consuming them, including fruits and vegetables with skins that aren’t typically eaten, such as avocados,” Triplett wrote in an email.
