With Halloween only hours away, two new E. coli outbreaks have shown up to haunt the nation’s Romaine growers because genetic links to the past have been discovered.
The two outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157: H7 (STEC) illnesses are under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control, and Prevention (CDC), along with various state and local health departments.
“We do not know what food is causing people to get sick or whether it involves an FDA-regulated food product,” said Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response. “However, we have seen similar recurring, emerging, or persistent strains of E. coli in recent outbreaks. E. coli O157: H7 can contaminate many foods, and we cannot assume that the current outbreaks are linked to historically associated foods like romaine and other leafy greens. There is no information currently to indicate that people should avoid any specific food.”
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