Do Not Eat Romaine Lettuce, The CDC Warns

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced a multistate E.coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce after 53 cases were reported in 16 states since April 9. All contaminated lettuce was traced back to Yuma, Arizona, and the public is advised to not buy or consume romaine lettuce unless it can be confirmed that it was not grown in here.

"Unless the source of the product is known, consumers anywhere in the United States who have any store-bought romaine lettuce at home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick," the CDC said.

According to the CDC announcement, there have been 53 cases of E.coli infections linked to romaine lettuce, 31 of which were severe enough to require hospitalization. Of the hospitalizations, five patients developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. There are no reported deaths as of Friday at 4 p.m. EDT. As of yet, the infected states include : Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, Missouri, Louisiana, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Alaska.

(NEWSWEED)