HIghlights
- This outbreak appears to be over as of January 25, 2018. The most recent illness started on December 12, 2017.
- CDC, several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigated a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) infections.
- Twenty-five people infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 were reported from 15 states.
- Illnesses started on dates ranging from November 5, 2017 to December 12, 2017.
- Nine people were hospitalized, including two people who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. One death was reported from California.
- In December 2017, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) investigated an outbreak of STEC O157:H7 infections in several provinces linked to romaine lettuce. PHAC reported on January 10, 2018 that the outbreak in Canada appeared to be over.
- Whole genome sequencing showed that the E. coli strains that made people sick in Canada and in the United States were closely related genetically.
- The source of the romaine lettuce linked to the Canadian outbreak, or where it became contaminated, was not identified.
- Information gathered from ill people indicated that the likely source of the outbreak in the United States was leafy greens. The investigation was not able to identify a specific type of leafy greens as the source of the outbreak.
- Leafy greens typically have a short shelf life, and since the last illness started over a month ago, it is likely that contaminated leafy greens linked to this outbreak are no longer available for sale.
- Information about STEC and what people can do to reduce their chances of infection is available on the CDC website(https://www.cdc.gov/Features/ecoliinfection/).
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