FRIDAY,
Aug
26,
2022
–
–
A
total
of
84
people
across
four
states
have
now
been
made
ill
by

E.
coli,
in
an
outbreak
possibly
tied
to
contaminated
lettuce
used
in
sandwiches
sold
at
Wendy’s

restaurants.

“Since
the
last
update
on
August
19,
2022,
47
more
illnesses
have
been
reported
to
CDC,”
the
U.S.
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and

Prevention
said
in
an
updated
statement
released
Thursday.
That
includes
53
cases
in
Michigan,
23
cases
in
Ohio,
6
in
Indiana
and
2
in
Pennsylvania.

Illnesses
from
infection
with
the
gastrointestinal
bacterium
have
often
been
severe.

“Thirty-eight
people
have
been
hospitalized,
including
8
people
in
Michigan
who
have
a
type
of

kidney
failure
called

hemolytic
uremic
syndrome,”
the
CDC
said,
although
“no
deaths
have
been
reported.”

The
exact
source
of
the
outbreak
has
not
been
officially
confirmed,
but
the
CDC
said
that
in
84%
of
cases
people
reported
eating
at
Wendy’s
before
they
became
ill.

“Of
17
people
with
detailed
information
about
what
they
ate
at
Wendy’s,
15
(88%)
reported
eating
romaine
lettuce
served
on
burgers
and
sandwiches,”
the
agency
noted.

On
Aug.
19,
Wendy’s
announced
that
it
had
removed
romaine
lettuce
from
its
sandwiches
in
Michigan,
Ohio
and
Pennsylvania.

“Wendy’s
is
taking
the
precautionary
measure
of
removing
the
romaine
lettuce
being
used
in
sandwiches
from

restaurants
in
that
region,”
the
CDC
said.
“Investigators
are
working
to
confirm
whether
romaine
lettuce
is
the
source
of
this
outbreak,
and
whether
romaine
lettuce
used
in
Wendy’s
sandwiches
was
served
or
sold
at
other
businesses.”

Romaine
lettuce
sold
in
grocery
stores
does
not
appear
to
be
affected,
the
CDC
said,
and
people
can
still
eat
at
Wendy’s
and
eat
the
romaine
lettuce
in
the
salads
it
sells.
Wendy’s
explained
in
a
statement
that
the
lettuce
used
in
its
salads
is
not
the
same
as
that
used
in
its
sandwiches.

“We
are
fully
cooperating
with
public
health
authorities
on
their
ongoing
investigation
of
the
regional

E.
coli
outbreak
reported
in
certain
midwestern
states,”
the
company
said.
“While
the
CDC
has
not
yet
confirmed
a
specific
food
as
the
source
of
that
outbreak,
we
are
taking
the
precaution
of
discarding
and
replacing
the
sandwich
lettuce
at
some
restaurants
in
that
region.”

Most
people
with
an

E.
coli
infection
“start
feeling
sick
3
to
4
days
after
eating
or
drinking
something
that
contains
the
bacteria,”
the
CDC
said.
“However,
illnesses
can
start
anywhere
from
1
to
10
days
after
exposure.”
Illnesses
typically
last
from
5
to
7
days.

What
to
Do:

• Watch
  for
  symptoms
  of
  severe
  
  E.
  coli,
  which
  include
  
  diarrhea
  lasting
  more
  than
  three
  days
  or
  
  diarrhea
  accompanied
  by
  a
  
  fever
  higher
  than
  102°F,
  
  bloody
  diarrhea,
  
  vomiting
  and
  a
  lack
  of
  urination.
• If
  you
  suffer
  from
  these
  symptoms,
  call
  your
  doctor
  immediately.
• Keep
  track
  of
  what
  and
  where
  you
  ate
  in
  the
  week
  before
  you
  got
  sick
  and
  report
  it
  to
  your
  local
  or
  state
  health
  department.

More
information

For
more
on
the
outbreak,
head
to
the
U.S.
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and

Prevention.

SOURCES:
U.S.
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention,
news
release,
Aug.
25,
2022;
Wendy’s,
statement,
Aug.
19,
2022

By
Ernie
Mundell
HealthDay
Reporter

Copyright
©
2021
HealthDay.
All
rights
reserved.

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