E. coli outbreak linked to Salinas romaine lettuce over

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The CDC said the E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas area appears to be over.

As of Jan. 15, the CDC is no longer warning people to avoid the lettuce because it appears that the lettuce that made people sick is no longer available for sale.

In total, there were 167 cases of E. coli reported in 27 states linked to the outbreak. 85 people were hospitalized, and 15 people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which the CDC said is a type of kidney failure.

The illnesses were reported between Sept. 20, 2019 and Dec. 21, 2019. Those affected ranged in age from 1 to 89 years old.

While investigating the outbreak, the CDC said it spoke to those who became sick about what they ate and other exposures the week before they became sick. 83% of those interviewed said they at romaine lettuce, which is significantly higher than 47% of healthy people interviewed.

In Maryland, the outbreak strain was found in an unopened package of Ready Pac Foods' Bistro Chicken Caesar Salad, and in Wisconsin, it was found in an unopened bag of Fresh Express Leafy Green Romaine. In both cases, Salinas was the main region where the lettuce was grown.