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An epidemic of E. Coli led the CDC to warn Americans to avoid romaine lettuce and JBS USA to recall nearly 100,000 pounds of ground beef.
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Lisa Dennis of Regent Square selects a green lettuce head from the vegetable shelves of the East End Food Co-op's federal credit union on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Due to a recent consumer alert regarding an outbreak of E. Coli in several states, the cooperative has replaced fresh lettuce and bagged with blue signs stating: "The CDC issued a consumer alert for romaine lettuce because of a multi-state E.Coli trigger . " The most recent epidemic mainly affects women and girls, according to the CDC.(Photo: Jessie Wardarski, AP)

Only Roman lettuce in parts of California is unfit for consumption, federal health officials said Monday.

The outbreak of E. coli infections in several states has been attributed to areas of the central coast of California, according to a statement from Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

"Romaine lettuce that has been harvested outside the growing areas of the central coast of northern and central California does not seem to be related to the current focus," said Gottlieb. "It is not recommended for consumers or retailers to avoid using Roman harvested from these sources."

According to Gottlieb's statement, romaine lettuce entering the market will now receive information as to when and where it was harvested. If a product does not have this information, consumers are advised not to eat it or use it.

More: Romaine lettuce linked to the fear of E. Coli probably came from California: FDA Commissioner

More: Is it safe to eat romaine lettuce? Here are the latest details about the E epidemic. coli

The FDA also said the market appeared to have been successfully purged of potentially contaminated Roman lettuce related to the outbreak, thanks to the market withdrawal demand of November 20.

According to the statement, the vast majority of the Roman market was grown in the Central Coast region of California at the time of the outbreak. The Roman harvest has been completed for a year and has since been transferred to winter growing areas including Florida, Mexico and the desert regions of California and Arizona.

The FDA said it does not have information to suggest that these growing areas are related to the current outbreak of E. Coli. Hydroponic lettuce and greenhouse lettuce also do not appear to be affected by the outbreak.

The outbreak has sickened 43 people in 12 states and 22 people in Canada, according to the FDA.

That's 32 people sick, including 13 hospitalized, in 11 US states last week, and there may be more cases to come. According to the FDA, twenty days is the average time between when a person gets sick and when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are alerted.

More: Why are women and girls the first victims of the E? Epidemic. Coli caused by romaine lettuce

More: Romaine lettuce: why it is difficult to protect it from E. coli and other bacteria

The most significant symptoms are severe stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea. While the majority of sick guests recover in five to seven days, five to ten percent develop a type of potentially life-threatening kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections are most prevalent in the under-5, over-65, and weakened immune systems.

The CDC advised consumers to discard any romaine lettuce that they have in any form, such as whole heads, hearts or salad mixes containing them. If you do not know if your lettuce is romaine lettuce, protect it and discard it too. In addition, disinfect the drawers or shelves of refrigerators where the Roman was stored with soapy water and possibly bleach.

Last week, the FDA said the strain of E. Coli O157: H7 causing the current outbreak was genetically related to the strain caused by the outbreak last fall in the United States and Canada. Twenty-five people became ill – including one death and two incidents of haemolytic uremic syndrome – in 15 states.

Federal investigators found no connection between the current outbreak and that which began last spring. There were 210 cases, including five deaths and 96 hospitalizations.

More: President Trump's Thanksgiving meal included a Caesar salad in the midst of an outbreak of Romaine E. coli

More: Why washing romaine lettuce does not kill E. coli

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You've heard the warnings, but here's why this strain of E. Coli is particularly difficult to avoid.
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