Since the last update on August 17, 2022, eight more illnesses have been reported and two new states have reported illnesses. As of August 18, 2022, a total of 37 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported to CDC from 4 states.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from July 26, 2022, to August 8, 2022.


Sick people range in age from 6 to 91 years, with a median age of 21 years, and 62% are male. Of 24 people with information available, ten have been hospitalized. Among the ten people who have been hospitalized, three people in Michigan have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. No deaths have been reported.

The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some of the recent illnesses have not yet been reported to PulseNet as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak. In addition, some people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli.

State and local public health officials have been interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Among 26 people who have been interviewed, 22 (86%) reported eating at a Wendy’s restaurant in the week before their illness started. The Wendy’s restaurants where sick people ate are in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. People reported eating a variety of menu items, including burgers and sandwiches. Romaine lettuce served on burgers and sandwiches at Wendy’s was one of the most common ingredients eaten among the menu items, but investigators continue to analyze data at the ingredient level to determine if there are any other possible foods that could be the source of the outbreak.

Based on the information available, Wendy’s is taking the precautionary measure of removing the romaine lettuce being used in sandwiches from restaurants in that region. Wendy’s uses a different type of romaine lettuce for salads. 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.

The Food Safety Law Firm: 

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli outbreaks and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The E. coli lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness infections and have recovered over $850 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our E. coli lawyers have litigated E. coli and HUS cases stemming from outbreaks traced to ground beef, raw milk, lettuce, spinach, sprouts, and other food products. The law firm has brought E. coli lawsuits against such companies as Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill, Wendy’s and Jimmy John’s. We have proudly represented such victims as Brianne Kiner, Stephanie Smith and Linda Rivera.

If you or a family member became ill with an E. coli infection or HUS after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark E. coli attorneys for a free case evaluation.

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