Romaine Lettuce May Be Linked to 2 Deaths

If you have romaine lettuce in your fridge, you may want to throw it out after a possible E. coli outbreak. 58 people have become sick in the U.S. and Canada. 2 people have died, 1 in Canada and 1 in the U.S.

The outbreak has hit 13 states including New York and can lead to serious illness, kidney failure, and even death, according to Consumer Reports.

The CDC is investigating the outbreak to determine if romaine lettuce is the cause. "Even though we can’t say with 100 percent certainty that romaine lettuce is the cause of the E. coli outbreak in the U.S., a greater degree of caution is appropriate given that lettuce is almost always consumed raw,” says James Rogers, Ph.D., Director of Food Safety and Research at Consumer Reports.

Canadian Health Officials discovered the possible tainted lettuce in December and advised people to avoid eating the lettuce until further notice.

Romaine lettuce has a shelf life of up to five weeks, so lettuce purchased a few weeks ago could still be contaminated. Check salad blends and mixes, too, and avoid those that contain romaine.

E. coli Symptoms:

nausea
vomiting
headache
mild fever
severe stomach cramps
watery or bloody diarrhea

U.S. States Affected:

California
Connecticut
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Vermont
Washington

Learn more at Consumer Reports.