The FDA continues to investigate the outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections associated with romaine lettuce from the Yuma growing region. Any contaminated product from the Yuma growing region has already worked its way through the food supply and is no longer available for consumption. So any immediate risk is gone. However, the FDA is committed to investigating the source of the outbreak and working with industry to help prevent similar events in the future.
This is a serious and tragic outbreak. And we’re devoting considerable effort to identifying the primary source. We’ve made progress in recent weeks toward this goal. This outbreak of E. coliO157:H7 illnesses is the largest in the United States in more than 10 years. As of today, it has affected 172 persons in 32 states, and it is anticipated the numbers will be updated on Friday. Tragically, 45 percent of these ill people have been hospitalized, and one has died. And 20 of these people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), one of the most serious complications that can occur with E. coliO157:H7 infection.
These statistics reflect the severity of this particular foodborne illness. The kidney damage that’s associated with HUS can require temporary dialysis and the kidneys may never fully recover. For these reasons, anytime outbreaks caused by this pathogen occur, we need to find the root cause of the contamination and determine what went wrong. We need to relay these findings to industry so that measures can be put in place to prevent it from happening again.
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