A nationwide outbreak of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce has already sickened more than 30 people in 11 states.
By Neal McNamara , Patch Staff
King County residents (and restaurants), put the romaine lettuce down and back away slowly. That’s the advice of county health officials as word spread Tuesday of a nationwide E. coli outbreak linked to romaine.
“Public Health Seattle-King County is advising the public to not eat (and discard) romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants to not serve or sell any romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing romaine, until more is known about the outbreak,” the agency wrote in an alert sent to King County residents Tuesday evening.
And while you’re at it, you should wash any surface that romaine has come in contact with, the county advises.
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control issued a similar warning, telling Americans not to eat any romaine lettuce. Investigators have linked 32 cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli across 11 states to romaine lettuce, but not to a common source.
That means any romaine lettuce – loose, bagged, triple-washed – from any source could be behind the outbreak.
“CDC is advising that U.S. consumers not eat any romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants not serve or sell any, until we learn more about the outbreak,” the federal agency wrote in a statement Tuesday.
E. coli is a very serious bug. Most people experience painful vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps. But some people develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially deadly form of kidney failure. Symptoms usually set in two to three days after you eat the germs, and can last up to a week.
So far, no E. coli cases linked to this outbreak have been confirmed in Washington. There have been 10 cases in California, however.
If you have questions, you can contact King County health food safety staff at (206) 263-9566.
