E. Coli Outbreak: Don't Eat Romaine Lettuce, Warns CDC

The Center for Disease Control issued a warning on Tuesday afternoon for United States residents: Do not eat any romaine lettuce. Those with romaine lettuce are advised to get rid of it as soon as possible due to an E. coli outbreak, the CDC said.

The government agency warned against eating romaine in any form, including premade salad mixes that include the lettuce variant. Customers who do not know whether or not a salad mix contains romaine lettuce were told to get rid of it regardless. The CDC also said to thoroughly wash any container where the lettuce was stored.

According to the CDC, 32 people have reported E. coli infections across 11 states. Those infections have resulted in 13 hospitalizations, but zero deaths so far. Additionally, 18 Canadians in Ontario and Quebec have reported the same strain of E. coli. These particular infections occurred between Oct. 8 and 31.

The CDC noted that the warning does not mean all romaine lettuce is infected with E. coli. The agency, however, has not identified where the infected lettuce came from so consumers should exercise caution.

Finally, the CDC said this outbreak is not related to a similar outbreak that occurred back in April.