Federal officials have declared that an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections related to romaine lettuce on Wendy’s sandwiches has ended.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that the total number of confirmed patients is 109, up from the 97 reported in its most recent update on Sept. 1. About half — 52 — of the patients have been so sick they had to be admitted to hospitals. Thirteen of the patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious often life-threatening condition that can cause kidney failure. No one had died as of this evening.
As of the report tonight from the CDC the specific source of the E. coli could not be 100 percent confirmed. However, 83 percent of 82 patients for whom the information was available reported eating at Wendy’s before becoming ill.
“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli,” according to the CDC statement.
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