More cases in E. Coli outbreak linked to lettuce at Wendy’s

FRIDAY, Sept. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) — A total of 97 people in six states have now fallen ill from E. coli, in an outbreak possibly linked to the contaminated lettuce used in sandwiches sold at Wendy’s restaurants.

“Since the last update on August 25, 2022, 13 more diseases have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an updated statement released Thursday. Two states — Kentucky and New York (with one case each) — have been added to the list of states reporting cases, which also includes Michigan (58 cases), Ohio (24), Indiana (11), and Pennsylvania (2).

Diseases caused by bacteria in the digestive tract are often severe.

“Of the 81 people with the information, 43 were hospitalized and 10 developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause the kidneys The CDC said, although “no deaths have been reported.”

The exact source of the outbreak has not been officially confirmed, but the CDC said that in 67 cases where investigators asked what people had eaten in the week prior to becoming ill, 81% reported that they ate at Wendy’s.

Of 54 people with detailed information about what they ate at Wendy’s, 37 years old [69%] The agency reported eating romaine lettuce served on burgers and sandwiches.”

On August 19, Wendy’s announced that it had removed romaine lettuce from its sandwiches in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

“Wendy’s is taking the precautionary measure to remove the romaine lettuce used in sandwiches from restaurants in that area,” the CDC said at the time. “Investigators are working to confirm whether romaine lettuce was the source of this outbreak, and whether the romaine lettuce used in Wendy’s sandwiches was offered or sold at other companies.”

The CDC said romaine lettuce sold in grocery stores does not appear to be affected, and people can still eat at Wendy’s and eat romaine lettuce in the salads it sells. Wendy’s explained in a statement that the lettuce used in its salads is different from the lettuce used in sandwiches.

“We are fully cooperating with public health authorities in their ongoing investigations into the regional outbreaks of E. coli that have been reported in some Midwestern states,” the company said at the time. “Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet confirmed that a specific food is the source of that outbreak, we are taking precautions to phase out and substitute lettuce at some restaurants in that area.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said most people with E. coli infection “begin to feel sick 3 to 4 days after eating or drinking something that contains the bacteria.” “However, illnesses can start anywhere from one to 10 days after exposure.” Diseases usually last from 5 to 7 days.

What do I do:

• Watch out for severe E. coli symptoms, which include Diarrhea lasting more than three days or diarrhea accompanied by a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, bloody diarrhea. vomiting And less urination.
• If you experience these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.
• Keep track of what and where you ate in the week before you got sick and report to your local or state health department.

more information

To learn more about the outbreak, head over to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.