Massive E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce turns deadly

Enlarge / Romaine lettuce stalks (credit: Getty | Justin Sullivan)

A savage strain of E. coli spread on romaine lettuce has killed its first victim in an outbreak that now grips 25 states, sickening a total of 121 people.

The California Department of Public Health confirmed to Ars that a resident had died from an illness linked to contaminated romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma region. "Due to patient privacy laws, we cannot provide further details," the department said in a statement. But it added that the death was among 24 cases of illnesses in the state linked to the salad staple.

The Yuma region produces the lion's share of romaine lettuce and other leafy greens for the whole of the US during the winter months. Production shifts northward to California's Central and Salinas Valleys in March to early April. Therefore, the lettuce you see on grocery store shelves now is likely not from Yuma, and new reports of cases are likely due to reporting lags.

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