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CDC: E. coli outbreak possibly linked to romaine lettuce from Wendy's

There have been 37 cases across four states so far. Most people interviewed said they had eaten at Wendy's the week prior to getting sick.

CLEVELAND — An E. coli outbreak affecting four states has been tentatively linked to romaine lettuce used on Wendy's sandwiches, the CDC said Friday. 

The CDC reports 37 people have been infected in the outbreak across Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio. Ten people have been hospitalized, many with a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. No deaths have been reported.

Most of the sickened people reported eating sandwiches with romaine lettuce at Wendy’s restaurants before getting sick, the CDC said. Of the 26 people interviewed so far, 22 had eaten at Wendy's in the week prior to getting sick.

The Wendy's restaurants were located in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The sick person in Indiana has not been interviewed.

Wendy's is removing romaine lettuce in sandwiches at its stores in the region as a precaution, the CDC said. Wendy's does not use the same type of lettuce in its salads.

The CDC is not advising people at this time to stop eating at Wendy's or to stop eating romaine lettuce from other sources.

At this time, the CDC said, there is no evidence that romaine lettuce sold in grocery stores, served in other restaurants or at people's homes is linked to the outbreak.

Investigators are working to confirm whether romaine lettuce is the source and whether or not it was served at other businesses.

You should call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these other severe E. coli symptoms:

  • Bloody diarrhea
  • So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
  • Signs of dehydration, such as:
    • Not peeing much
    • Dry mouth and throat
    • Feeling dizzy when standing up

If you have symptoms, the CDC says you should write down what you ate in the week before you got sick, report your illness to your local or state health department and answer public health officials' questions to help trace the source of the illness.

    

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