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Death Linked To Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Outbreak

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - One person has died from the E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce.

Federal health officials say the death was reported in California, but they did not provide more details.

The government now has reports of 121 people sickened in 25 states.

Health officials have tied the E. coli outbreak to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Ariz., which provides most of the romaine sold in the U.S. during the winter.

For more information about the outbreak, click here.

Here are some tips about the outbreak from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Do not eat or buy romaine lettuce unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Arizona growing region. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region. Ask your suppliers about the source of their romaine lettuce.
  • If you do not know whether lettuce is romaine, do not eat it. This includes lettuce in a salad mix. Package labels often do not identify growing regions. CDC is advising consumers not to eat or buy romaine lettuce if they do not know where it was grown.
  • This advice includes whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, baby romaine, organic romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce.
  • People get sick from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli an average of 3 to 4 days after swallowing the germ. Most people get diarrhea (often bloody), severe stomach cramps and vomiting.
  • Most people recover within a week, but some illnesses can last longer and be more severe.
  • Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms of an E. coli infection and report your illness to your local health department.
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