E Coli Cases Linked To Romaine Double In NY, CDC Says

New York, NY – An E.coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce has sickened another two people in the past weeks in New York, the Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday. Since the outbreak began in early April, four people in the state have become ill.

Nationally, the number of those affected went up by 28 people in the past week to 149 cases in 29 sates, though there has still only been one death, which was reported in California.

Details of where the sick New Yorkers lived were not available from the CDC.

The lettuce has been traced to the Yuma, Arizona, growing region and consumers are being warned to avoid all types of romaine unless they can confirm it did not come from that area. No specific supplier has been identified.

"Do not buy or eat romaine lettuce at a grocery store or restaurant unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Arizona growing region," the CDC warned last month. "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."

Of the 149 cases, 64 people were hospitalized, with 17 suffering a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome., the CDC said.

The CDC advises that anyone who has symptoms of E. coli should write down what they ate in the week before they became sick. The illness should be reported to the local health department.

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