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E. coli outbreak now includes 2 cases in Pennsylvania

Thirty-seven people have gotten sick in four states, and 10 went to the hospital.

Most types of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are harmless, but 37 people, including two Pennsylvanians, recently fell ill from a type of disease-causing E. coli transmitted in food.
Most types of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are harmless, but 37 people, including two Pennsylvanians, recently fell ill from a type of disease-causing E. coli transmitted in food.Read moreNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
    by Tom Avril
    Published 

Two Pennsylvanians have now become sick in an outbreak of foodborne E. coli bacteria, bringing the total to 37 people in four states, the CDC said Friday.

Ten of the 37 have been hospitalized, including three in Michigan who developed a type of kidney failure. A specific food has not been confirmed as the cause, but most of the people said they had eaten sandwiches with romaine lettuce at a Wendy’s restaurant during the week before they got sick, the CDC said.

As a precautionary measure, Wendy’s is removing the romaine lettuce used for sandwiches in restaurants in the affected areas. The move does not affect a different type of romaine lettuce that the restaurant chain uses for salads, the CDC said.

“CDC is not advising that people avoid eating at Wendy’s restaurants or that people stop eating romaine lettuce,” the agency said in a statement. “At this time, there is no evidence to indicate that romaine lettuce sold in grocery stores, served in other restaurants, or in people’s homes is linked to this outbreak.”

The type of E. coli in this outbreak has been identified as the O157 strain, which causes illness by producing a substance called Shiga toxin. Symptoms can include severe, sometimes bloody diarrhea, fever higher than 102 degrees, and vomiting. Most people get better within a week.

In addition to the two Pennsylvania illnesses, the 37 cases include 19 in Ohio, 15 in Michigan, and one in Indiana.

The CDC asks anyone with symptoms to write down what they ate the week before and to report their illness to their state or local health department. In Philadelphia, people can call 215-685-7495 or dial 311.