Warning about tainted lettuce cites Arizona as possible source

The multistate E. coli outbreak has been tied to tainted romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Ariz., area.

PHOENIX — The U.S. Centers for Disease expanded its warning Friday surrounding a multistate E. coli outbreak tied to tainted romaine lettuce from Arizona, which has now sickened more than 50 people.

The agency said information from new cases of illness prompted them to caution against eating any forms of romaine lettuce that may have come from Yuma. Previously, CDC officials had warned against only chopped romaine by itself or as part of salads and salad mixes.

But they are extending the risk to heads or hearts of romaine lettuce.

People at an Alaska correctional facility recently reported feeling ill after eating from whole heads of romaine lettuce. The vegetable was traced to lettuce harvested in the Yuma region, according to the CDC.

The outbreak has infected 53 people in 16 states — Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.

At least 31 have been hospitalized, including five with kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, severe stomach cramps and vomiting.

The CDC’s updated advisory said consumers should not buy or eat romaine lettuce from a grocery store or restaurant unless they can get confirmation that it did not come from Yuma. Restaurants and retailers are also warned not to serve or sell romaine lettuce from the area. According to the Produce Marketing Association, romaine grown in coastal and Central California, Florida and central Mexico is not at risk.

Yuma is 185 miles southwest of Phoenix and close to the California border. The region, referred to as the country’s “winter vegetable capital,” is known for its agriculture and often revels in it with events like a lettuce festival.

Steve Alameda, president of the Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association that represents local growers, said the outbreak has weighed heavily on him and other farmers.

“We want to know what happened,” Alameda said. “We can’t afford to lose consumer confidence. It’s heartbreaking to us..”

Growers in Yuma plant romaine lettuce between September and January.

During the peak of the harvest season, which runs from mid-November until the beginning of April, the Yuma region supplies most of the romaine sold in the U.S., according to Alameda.

The outbreak came as the harvest of romaine was already near its end.