The CDC is urging Americans to avoid eating any form of romaine lettuce amid a new outbreak of E. coli infections, according to a Nov. 20 alert from the CDC.
Here are five things to know:
1. Contaminated romaine has sickened 32 people across 11 states. No deaths have occurred, but 13 people required hospitalization and one individual experienced kidney failure. Canada's public health authority has also identified 18 people infected with the same E. coli strain.
2. The following states reported E. coli cases: California, Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio and Wisconsin.
3. The CDC said romaine is unsafe to eat in any form. Consumers should throw away any romaine in their homes and sanitize fridge drawers where the lettuce was stored.
4. This spring, a nationwide E. coli outbreak tied to romaine lettuce sickened 210 people across 36 states, according to The Washington Post. The CDC said there does not appear to be a connection between the two outbreaks.
5. The CDC, FDA and other health officials are working to identify the source of the latest outbreak, which is still unknown.