New warning about romaine lettuce linked to E. coli

NILES, Mich – There’s a new E. coli warning and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control say romaine lettuce is the culprit.

“I think it’s terrible I actually just got over the stomach flu over the weekend and I think it was due to some lettuce,” Niles resident Christynn Black said.

Michiana area residents are sharing that concern after the CDC began urging people not to eat romaine lettuce.

So far there have not been any deaths reported but the FDA is looking into 32 cases, across 11 states, including Michigan.

Local resident Christynn Black says she knows this outbreak will affect a lot of people’s food choice.

“I know a lot of friends who eat a green based diet and this might be something that could interfere with their diet,” Black said.

E. coli is a bacteria based illness when contracted can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The FDA hasn’t tied the outbreak to a specific distributor but they are confident romaine lettuce is the culprit

The first reported illness related to the current strain began in October, it is not connected to but similar to the outbreak linked to romaine lettuce earlier this year.

“I eat lettuce on a day-to-day basis so it’s something im going to make sure I wash it well and very vigorously even more than normal I guess,” Niles resident Jim Clem said.

Local restaurants and schools have been ordered to stop serving romaine immediately and people are being urged to wipe down their shelves if they have any in their fridge to protect against the bacteria spreading.