CDC: E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce is over

Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Federal health officials say romaine lettuce is once again safe to eat, following an outbreak that sickened nearly 170 people in 27 states.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday the outbreak -- from the Salinas Valley growing region in California -- "appears to be over," because Salinas Valley romaine lettuce is no longer sold.

"CDC is no longer advising that people avoid romaine lettuce," the CDC said.

Of the 167 who became ill, 85 were hospitalized -- including 15 with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. There were no deaths.

The recent outbreak was caused by the same strain that caused a similar spread in 2017 and 2018, the CDC said.

"Laboratory testing confirmed that this strain of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli tends to cause more severe illness than other strains."