Hong Kong consumers are warned to avoid buying and eating romaine lettuce coming from the United States and Canada amid E. coli outbreak. The warning came after the Center for Food Safety in the city received outbreak reports from these two countries, noting possible E. coli infection might be linked to consuming romaine lettuce (cos lettuce).
The spokesman of the center held all romaine lettuce imported from the US and Canada starting from Thursday to get tested. They will only be released and be available to the market upon obtaining satisfactory test results. Retail stores also enhanced surveillance of romaine lettuce coming from these countries, as local retailers had voluntarily removed them on their stores.
The center advised the public not to consume romaine lettuce from the US, Canada, as well as from other unknown sources to be safe from the infection. They continue observing and monitoring any latest developments regarding the incident, the South China Morning Post reported.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 32 reported cases in 11 states that had been sick after eating contaminated romaine lettuce. Of those reported cases, 13 were admitted to the hospital, and one patient reportedly suffered from kidney failure. Meanwhile, Canada's Public Health Agency reported 18 cases infected with the same strain in Quebec and Ontario.
Two days prior the Thanksgiving celebration on Thursday, the CDC warned American consumers that romaine lettuce was unsafe to consume in any form and to avoid a new outbreak of the infection caused by a dangerous type of E. coli bacteria. The agency also told consumers to throw away romaine lettuce they have already bought.
Also, restaurants were urged not to serve it, stores were told not to sell it, and people were advised not to buy it - no matter when or where it has grown. The CDC said those who are infected become sick after three to four days of consuming romaine lettuce contaminated with the E. coli bacteria.
Although the CDC noted that not all romaine lettuce might contain the dangerous E. coli bacteria, investigators weren't still sure where, when, and how the contamination happen - so all romaine is suspected carrying the infection. Investigators are yet to find out how the contamination prompted.
California had the highest number of reported E. coli infection in the US with 10 cases, Michigan with seven, New Jersey with three, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Illinois with two each. Other cases were also reported in Wisconsin, Ohio, Maryland, and Connecticut.
