CDC: E. Coli Outbreak Spreads; More Than 80 People Sickened
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says more people have been sickened by a multi-state E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce.
So far, 84 people have become ill across 19 states. The latest cases were reported in Colorado, Georgia and South Dakota.
Here in the Northeast, 12 people have been infected in Pennsylvania, seven people have gotten sick in New Jersey and two cases have been reported in both Connecticut and New York.
Symptoms of E. coli include diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting.
The outbreak has been linked to whole heads or hearts of romaine lettuce from Yuma, Arizona.
Yuma is roughly 185 miles (298 kilometers) southwest of Phoenix and close to the California border. The region, referred to as the country's "winter vegetable capital," is known for its agriculture and often revels in it with events like a lettuce festival.
Steve Alameda, president of the Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association which represents local growers, has said the outbreak weighs heavily on him and other farmers.
"We want to know what happened," Alameda said. "We can't afford to lose consumer confidence. It's heartbreaking to us. We take this very personally."
Growers in Yuma typically plant romaine lettuce between September and January. During the peak of the harvest season, which runs from mid-November until the beginning of April, the Yuma region supplies most of the romaine sold in the U.S., according to Alameda. The outbreak came as the harvest of romaine was already near its end.
For more information from the CDC, click here.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)