Residents are warned to avoid romaine due to recent E. coli scare
EL CENTRO — Imperial County Environmental Health staff are in the process of contacting all retail food facilities that sell or process romaine lettuce to inform them of a Center of Disease Control and Prevention advisory against consuming romaine lettuce.
A multistate outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce has caused 32 persons in California and 10 other states, as well as 18 people in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, to become ill. The illnesses started on dates ranging from Oct. 8 to Oct. 31, CDC reported.
No cases have been reported in Imperial County.
CDC is advising consumers not to eat any romaine lettuce because no common grower, supplier, distributor or brand of romaine lettuce has been identified.
The Imperial County Public Health Department said the current outbreak is not related to a multistate outbreak of E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce earlier this year.
This past spring an E. coli outbreak traced to romaine grown in Yuma County made 210 consumers sick in 36 states. Five patients died from complications of the illness.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported irrigation water was “most likely” the source of that contamination.
Tracing the source of contaminated lettuce can be difficult because it’s often repackaged by middlemen, said Sarah Sorscher, deputy director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. That can mean the entire industry becomes implicated in outbreaks, even if not all products are contaminated.
“One of the problems with produce is that it can be very hard to trace back,” she said.
The Imperial County Public Health Department advised consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick.
This advice includes all types or uses of romaine lettuce, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags and boxes of precut lettuce and salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix and Caesar salad.
When in doubt over whether lettuce is romaine or whether a salad mix contains romaine, do not eat it and throw it away, the health department warned. Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where romaine was stored.
People usually get sick from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli two to eight days after swallowing the germ, the county said. Most people infected with E.coli develop diarrhea that can be bloody, severe stomach cramps and vomiting.
Most people recover within one week. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe, resulting in a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. HUS can occur in people of any age, but is most common in young children under 5 years, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of HUS can include fever, abdominal pain, pale skin tone, fatigue and irritability, small, unexplained bruises or bleeding from the nose and mouth and decreased urination.
Steps to prevent E. coli:
• Wash your hands. Wash hands after using the restroom or changing diapers, before and after preparing or eating food, and after contact with animals.
• Don’t prepare food or drink for others when you are sick.
• Cook meats properly. Cook steaks and roasts to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit and let rest for three minutes after you remove meat from the grill or stove. Cook ground beef and pork to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the meat.
• Don’t cross-contaminate. Thoroughly wash hands, counters, cutting boards and utensils after they touch raw meat.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in running water before eating, unless the package says the contents have been washed.
• Avoid unpasteurized dairy products and juices.
The investigation into the outbreak is ongoing, and CDC will provide more information as it becomes available. For additional information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at https:// www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/ index.html.
Those with specific questions regarding E. Coli may contact the Public Health Department Epidemiology Program at (442) 2651394.