TO CLOSE

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.
UNITED STATES TODAY & # 39; HUI

Romaine lettuce is on display on a shelf at a supermarket on April 23 in San Rafael, California.(Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Americans have been warned to avoid eating romaine lettuce because of an outbreak of E. coli. Coli that would have injured at least 32 people in 11 US states.

The warning, released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicated that consumers should discard their romaine lettuce, and that it should in no way be sold or served. The CDC also asked people to clean the refrigerators where the Roman had been stored.

The epidemic has hit the Midwest hard, although Indiana has been spared so far. But eleven cases have been reported in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 18 confirmed cases of E. coli infection were the subject of a survey in Ontario and Quebec.

A bug of injury bites IUBB: Insider: Injury problems already threaten UI basketball

What you need to know about vaping: Here's how Juul and other anti-UV products affect your body

The warning has caused widespread concern and a big question: what will happen if I've already eaten romaine lettuce?

If you just hear the news and have recently eaten Roman, here are the symptoms you should watch for and the illness you may contract, according to the CDC.

Do not panic

On Tuesday, there were 50 confirmed cases in the United States and Canada among millions of consumers who ate or had an interaction with romaine lettuce. The chances of getting sick remain low, but keep an eye on future updates and watch for your health.

Disease

Escherichia coli, shortened to E. coli, is a diverse group of bacteria found in the environment, food and intestines of humans and animals.

"Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, others can make you sick.Some types of E. coli can cause diarrhea, while others can cause urinary tract infections, respiratory diseases and pneumonia, among others ", according to the CDC.

Symptoms

The strain of E. Coli associated with this outbreak is known as E. Coli producing a Shiga toxin, or STEC.

According to the CDC, infection varies from person to person, but common symptoms include severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. Some patients may develop fever less than 101 degrees.

"Most people get better in five to seven days," says the CDC. "Some infections are very mild, but others are serious or life-threatening."

Most people infected with STEC begin to feel sick three or four days after eating or drinking something that contains the bacteria, but the disease can begin between one and ten days after exposure.

Health officials advise people to contact a health care provider if you have diarrhea that lasts more than three days, or is accompanied by fever, blood in the stool, severe vomiting, and very weak urine.

The worst of cases

According to the CDC, 5 to 10% of people diagnosed with STEC infection develop a life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.

HUS can develop seven days after the onset of symptoms when diarrhea begins to improve.

"Clues that a person develops HUS include a reduced rate of urination, a feeling of tiredness, and a loss of pink cheeks and the lower eyelid," says the CDC. "People with HUS need to be hospitalized because their kidneys may stop functioning and develop other serious problems.Most people with HUS recover in a few weeks, but some suffer irreversible damage or die. "

Until now, two people, one in the United States and one in Canada, have developed the HUS.

Call Justin L. Mack, journalist at IndyStar, at 317-444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack

Read or share this story: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2018/11/21/romaine-lettuce-warning-what-you-should-do-if-you-ate-romaine-lettuce/ 2077034002 /