On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced romaine lettuce that was harvested outside of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Barbara Counties in California after Nov. 23 doesn’t appear to be related to the current outbreak.

Image/PHAC
Image/PHAC

In addition, hydroponically- and greenhouse-grown romaine also doesn’t appear to be related to the current outbreak.

A positive sample result for the outbreak strain was detected in the sediment of a local irrigation reservoir used by a single farm owned and operated by Adam Bros. Farms in Santa Barbara County.

Despite the discovery, the newly identified link doesn’t explain all of the outbreak cases and that traceback investigations are still under way.

Since the last outbreak update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports an additional 7 ill people, bringing the total to 59 people infected with the outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 15 states and the District of Columbia.

Twenty-three people have been hospitalized, including two people who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.

In Canada, health officials now report 28 confirmed cases of E. coli illness investigated in Ontario (5), Quebec (19), New Brunswick (1), and British Columbia (3).

Ten individuals have been hospitalized, and two individuals suffered from hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a severe complication that can result from an E. coli infection. No deaths have been reported.

So what are health officials warnings today?

CDC is advising that consumers not eat any romaine lettuce harvested from Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Barbara counties in the Central Coastal growing regions of northern and central California.

If consumers, retailers, and food service facilities are unable to confirm that romaine lettuce products are from unaffected sources, we urge that these products not be purchased, or if the products have already purchased, they should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.