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Consumers Warned to Not Eat Romaine Lettuce After E. Coli Outbreak

ATLANTA (CBS13) - Don't eat any romaine lettuce coming from the Yuma, Arizona growing region- that's the new warning out Friday from the Centers for Disease Control after a multi-state E. coli outbreak is being linked to romaine lettuce grown in that region.

This warning comes a day after consumers were told to throw away and not eat any chopped romaine lettuce, including bagged salad and salad mixes.

Now the warning from the CDC covers all types of romaine lettuce, including whole heads and hearts. Consumers are also being told not to buy or eat romaine lettuce at a grocery store or restaurant unless you can confirm it wasn't grown in the Yuma, Arizona region.

If you have romaine lettuce at home, you're being advised by the CDC to throw it away, unless you can verify where the lettuce was grown. Restaurants and retailers are now being told to not serve or sell any romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona region.

CBS13 called local grocery chains. Nugget Markets, Safeway and Raley's told us the romaine lettuce they sell does not come from the Yuma, Arizona growing region.

California is 1 of 16 states involved in the E. coli outbreak.

On Friday, the CDC said people at a correctional facility in Alaska have now become ill after eating romaine lettuce.

The latest numbers, which do not include the most recent illnesses, show 53 people have been infected with the E. coli outbreak strain since it started March 13. 31 of those have been hospitalized, including five with kidney failure. The CDC did caution illnesses occurring after March 29 aren't reflected in the latest statistics due to how long it takes someone to become ill with E. coli and when the illness is then reported. Typically it takes two to three weeks.

A map on the CDC website shows California has registered one case so far.

No deaths have been reported.

The chopped romaine lettuce comes from the Yuma, Arizona growing region. No common grower, supplier, distributor or brand has been identified yet, according to the CDC.

The 16 states included in the outbreak are: California, Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, Missouri, Louisiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Pennsylvania has registered the most cases of E. coli- 12.

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