A total of 138 people have been infected, of which 72 have been hospitalized, in an outbreak of Escherichia coli linked to romaine lettuce from Salinas, Calif., the CDC reported.
People have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 in 25 states, with Wisconsin reporting the highest number of cases with 33. Pennsylvania and Ohio follow with 17 and 12 cases respectively. The number of people sickened in the outbreak has increased by nearly 100 since Nov. 22, when the FDA released a food safety alert.
E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. In the current outbreak, 13 people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, but no deaths have been reported.
The CDC is warning the public against eating any brands and types of romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas region, irrespective of use-by dates.
The same outbreak strain of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce sickened 62 people in 2018.