E.coli romaine lettuce outbreak from Salinas: What is e.coli? - INSIDER

Posted: 27 Nov 2019 06:51 AM PST

Romaine lettuce is being chopped off holiday menus again this Thanksgiving after an outbreak of E. coli was linked to lettuce grown in Salinas, California.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says if your romaine's label says "grown in Salinas," throw it away, because it could make you violently ill. At least six people have developed kidney failure so far, but no deaths have been reported.
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This Thanksgiving, check where your romaine lettuce came from before you serve or eat it.

The US Centers for Disease Control says that any romaine from the Salinas, California growing region may be contaminated with a dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria that can make people violently sick. Salinas is where most of the country's romaine comes from between April and November, when the harvest begins to move south to Arizona for the winter.

"If you have romaine lettuce or packaged foods containing romaine at your home, look for a label showing where the romaine was grown," the CDC advised consumers on Tuesday. "If the label says 'grown in Salinas' (whether alone or with the name of another location), don't eat it. Throw it away."

At least 67 people in 19 states across the country have reported they got sick after eating romaine from Salinas. 39 have been rushed to the hospital, and six have developed kidney failure. No deaths have been reported so far.

Look out for romaine in all its numerous forms: whole heads, hearts, organic varieties, pre-cut, baby romaine and salad mixes that contain romaine, including spring mix, Caesar salad, and prepacked wraps or sandwiches made with romaine. If the lettuce is labeled as "indoor grown," it does not appear to be part of this outbreak, and is considered safe to eat.

A similar outbreak that originated in the Yuma, Arizona growing region was announced at this same time last year. That warning nixed all romaine lettuce from US tables, two days before Thanksgiving feasts across the country. It also sparked industry-wide salad-labeling recommendations, so consumers can know the harvest region where their greens are grown, and can better determine if they're safe during an outbreak.

E. coli comes from feces, whether it be human or animal

salinas romaine e coli cattle — Enroute to the Salinas River, many tributaries flow through livestock areas first, picking up bacteria, before traveling on to lower lying valleys where vegetables are grown.

E. coli gets a bad reputation as an illness-causing bacteria, but you probably have a bit of "good" E. coli inside your body right now. Escherichia coli is a broad term for a species of diverse bacteria. Certain strains of E. coli colonize our guts almost immediately after birth and stick to the mucus of the intestines, keeping the intestinal tract humming along smoothly.

The O157:H7 strain of E. coli behind both the 2018 and 2019 Thanksgiving romaine outbreaks, however, is a version of the bug that can cause kidney failure in about 5% to 10% of cases (usually among people under the age of 5 and over 60, according to the Merck Manual). Less severe symptoms include bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting.

What makes the O157:H7 strain so dangerous is that it produces a Shiga toxin, which can make people really sick. Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, as it's sometimes called, spreads to humans when little bits of feces get inside our mouths. That's why a bit of undercooked meat or raw milk can make you ill.

O157:H7 usually originates in the guts of cattle, but it can also be found in goats, sheep, deer, and elk. It can travel from cattle farms to nearby fields where lettuce is grown and contaminate the greens in the soil. It can also get on lettuce when food-handlers don't wash their hands properly after coming into contact with E. coli-harboring feces, though previous outbreaks have more often been tied to livestock contamination.

romaine from salinas — Erasmo Alonzo deftly whittles away outer leaves of romaine lettuce with his razor sharp stainless steel knife. At 59, he is by far the oldest worker in the fields.

The best way to reduce your risk of an E. coli bug is something you've probably heard before: Wash your hands. Make sure people who prepare your food wash their hands, too.

Leafy greens (like spinach and romaine) are especially prone to picking up bacteria from nearby cattle farms. Rinsing away extra dirt can help reduce your risk of illness, but if a bit of lettuce is contaminated with E. coli, washing it won't save you.

Pregnant women, young children, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems need to be extra careful about steering clear of E. coli-contaminated food. But most of us can survive E. coli food poisoning — the miserable symptoms usually last five to seven days. There's not much you can do to treat the illness; antibiotics don't help, and may only increase your chances of developing kidney failure. Typically, the best thing to do is stay hydrated until the illness is over.

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