LOS ANGELES, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded its romaine lettuce recall amid an outbreak of E. coli linked to the vegetable from Yuma, a growing region located in south Arizona.
The agency said 53 people in 16 states have become infected with E. coli from lettuce, 31 people have been hospitalized, including five people who have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, while no deaths have been reported.
Three new illnesses were reported in the state of Alaska this week for eating lettuce from whole heads of romaine lettuce from Yuma.
"Information collected to date indicates that romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region could be contaminated with coli O157:H7 and could make people sick. At this time, no common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand has been identified," an update warning issued by the CDC read.
"Do not buy or eat romaine lettuce at a grocery store or restaurant unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region," the CDC advised, adding unless the source of the product is known, consumers in the country who have any store-bought romaine lettuce at home should not eat it and should throw it away.
The warning includes whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce, the CDC said. "If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, do not eat it and throw it away."
