The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health and regulatory officials in several states including the Ohio Department of Health, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas, CA, growing region.

Do not eat, serve, or sell any romaine lettuce grown in this growing region. Romaine from this area may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and making people sick. Most romaine products are labeled with a harvest location showing where they were grown, but if you don’t know or can’t tell where the romaine lettuce was grown, don’t eat it or buy it.

This advice includes all types of romaine including whole heads; hearts of romaine; organic romaine; precut lettuce in packaged salad mixes; and romaine that may be in salad blends, bowl kits, wraps, and sandwiches, regardless of brand or use-by date.

If you get sick after eating romaine lettuce from the Salinas, CA, growing region or an unknown region, see your doctor and notify your local health department. Symptoms usually present three to four days after eating food contaminated. Symptoms include:

  • Diarrhea that lasts more than three days
  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees F
  • Bloody diarrhea or blood in your stool
  • So much vomiting you can’t keep liquids down and pass little urine

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 $700 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, 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.