CDC tells consumers to throw out romaine lettuce amid outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising consumers to throw out their romaine lettuce.

Public health officials made the announcement Friday after receiving reports of new cases from the E. coli outbreak that’s been linked to romaine from the Yuma, Ariz., growing region. 

The CDC said the outbreak has spread to 16 states and sickened more than 53 people. {mosads}

Because of the new cases in Alaska, which The Washington Post reported include eight inmates in the state, CDC said it’s expanding its warning to cover whole heads and hearts of romaine lettuce, in addition to chopped romaine and salads and salad mixes containing romaine. 

If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine or not, the CDC said, you should throw it away.  

So far, the CDC said no common grower, supplier, distributor or brand has been identified in the outbreak at this time. 

And though the outbreak it linked to romaine grown in the Yuma, Ariz., region, CDC said consumers should throw out any romaine in their home since it’s hard to tell from packaging where the vegetable is grown.

Illnesses have been reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. 

So far, no deaths have been reported.