--- title: E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Romain Lettuce Grows description: At least 53 cases of E. coli linked to chopped romaine lettuce have been reported across 16 states, the CDC said. canonical: https://time.com/5246503/e-coli-outbreak-romaine-lettuce-grows/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-19T12:59:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T20:01:23.537Z article:section: Health og:title: E. Coli Outbreak Blamed on Lettuce Spreads to 16 States og:description: At least 53 people have been affected og:url: https://time.com/5246503/e-coli-outbreak-romaine-lettuce-grows/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt49751e65fd8b64b1/6988b486bc6cfc4d4a3dfb4e/dirtiest-things-you-touch.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: E.coli bacteria og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: E. Coli Outbreak Blamed on Lettuce Spreads to 16 States twitter:description: At least 53 people have been affected twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt49751e65fd8b64b1/6988b486bc6cfc4d4a3dfb4e/dirtiest-things-you-touch.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # E. Coli Outbreak Blamed on Contaminated Lettuce Spreads to 16 States, CDC Says by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Apr 19, 2018 12:59 PM UTC  E.coli bacteria E.coli bacteriaGetty Images by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Apr 19, 2018 12:59 PM UTC Health officials said more people have reported cases of E. coli, as a [multi-state outbreak](http://time.com/5240137/cdc-e-coli-romaine-lettuce/) linked to chopped romaine lettuce continues to spread. The [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention](https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-04-18/index.html) said about 53 cases of E. coli have been reported across 16 states, with 18 new cases reported after April 13\. Pennsylvania, Idaho, New Jersey and Montana reported the highest number of cases. The CDC said 31 people have been hospitalized, including five who have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported. The E. coli outbreak has been linked to [romaine lettuce](http://time.com/5240137/cdc-e-coli-romaine-lettuce/) grown in Yuma, Arizona, though no particular brand or grower has been identified. The CDC urged consumers anywhere in the U.S. to throw out any store-bought chopped romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes and to try and confirm where romaine lettuce comes from before eating it. E. coli symptoms typically include diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting. Symptoms lasting longer than a week can result in hemolytic uremic syndrome. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5246503/e-coli-outbreak-romaine-lettuce-grows/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5246503/e-coli-outbreak-romaine-lettuce-grows/"},"headline":"E. 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