Hala Sheikh prepares Fattoush, a popular salad, at her house in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 13. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday of a multistate E. coli outbreak linked to a popular type of salad. (Issam Abdallah, Reuters)
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SALT LAKE CITY — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday of a multistate E. coli outbreak linked to a popular type of salad.
The agency said Thursday that 13 people have reported infections of E. coli, four of whom required hospitalization. One person suffered a form of kidney failure, according to the CDC.
“The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli,” the agency said.
The cases occurred in six states, including California, Oregon and Washington. No cases have been confirmed in Utah.
Infections have been potentially linked through epidemiologic data to Simple Truth Organic Power Greens and Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens, which may be making people sick, the CDC said.
The agency urges people not to eat those products with “best if used by” dates of Dec. 20 or earlier. Even those kept in the freezer should be thrown away. The CDC also encourages people to wash surfaces the salads might have touched.
“Although these salads are expired, CDC is concerned they may still be in people’s homes,” the advisory said.
Investigators are working to determine if additional products may be contaminated.
People usually get sick with E. coli within two to eight days after swallowing the germ, officials said. Symptoms can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Some people may have a low fever.
Those with symptoms of an E. coli infection should talk to their health care providers and write down what they ate in the week getting sick, the CDC said.