Romaine lettuce E.coli outbreak tracked to Santa Barbara County farm

CBS SF– An E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, triggering a nation-wide warning not consume the leafy vegetable, has been tracked to a farm in Santa Barbara County, federal health officials announced Thursday.

In a conference call, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said E.coli had been discovered in the sediment of a water reservoir used to irrigate the Adam Brother Farms.

But they added there may be other sources and the investigation was continuing.

Officials said a ban on romaine lettuce from Ventura, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties farms has been lifted, but an advisory remained in effect for lettuce grown in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Barbara counties.

“The farm is cooperating with FDA,” a CDC spokesperson said. “The finding does not explain all the illnesses. The investigations still is underway.”

Federal health officials said seven additional cases of E.coli infections have been reported since December 6, bringing the total to 59 cases from 15 states and the District of Columbia since the outbreak was first reported in early October.

Illnesses have been reported in 15 states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

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

“We expect to see additional illnesses reported due to the 2- to 3-week time period from when a person gets sick to when it is reported to CDC,” official said in a release last week.

Some romaine lettuce products from the Central California Coast are now labeled with a harvest location by region. Check bags or boxes for a label to confirm where it was grown.

If the romaine lettuce is not labeled, health officials said, do not buy, serve, sell, or eat it.

The Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are also coordinating with US agencies to investigate a similar outbreak there.

In Canada, there are 27 illnesses under investigation, according to the Public Health Agency, which continues to advise residents in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick to avoid eating romaine lettuce and salad mixes containing romaine unless consumers can identify where it came from.

People with symptoms of an E. coli infection, such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, who think they might have gotten sick from eating romaine lettuce, should talk to their doctor and report their illness to the health department.

If you have further questions about this outbreak, please call the CDC media line at (404) 639-3286 or email media@cdc.gov. If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.