Four more states report E. coli illness linked to Arizona-grown lettuce

PHOENIX — Four more states are reporting illnesses caused by an outbreak of food poisoning linked to romaine lettuce grown in Arizona.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its numbers on the outbreak Wednesday, revealing that 149 people in 29 states had gotten sick.

It’s unclear if new illness are still occurring. There’s a lag in reporting, and the most recent illness began two weeks ago.

Florida, Minnesota, North Dakota and Texas have joined the list of states reporting at least one E. coli illness linked to the outbreak.

At least 64 people have been hospitalized, including 17 with kidney failure. One death, previously reported, occurred in California.

Health officials have tied the E. coli outbreak to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona, which provides most of the romaine sold in the U.S. during the winter.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, severe stomach cramps and vomiting, the federal agency said.

The CDC recommended shoppers not buy romaine lettuce if they were unsure where it had been grown.

Public health officials in the affected states were investigating the outbreak.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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