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Georgia reports first E. coli sickness from contaminated romaine lettuce

84 people in 19 states have taken ill from E. coli-infected romaine lettuce.
Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Romaine lettuce is displayed on a shelf at a supermarket on April 23, 2018 in San Rafael, California.

ATLANTA -- The CDC is reporting its first Georgia illness from E. coli-tainted romaine lettuce.

According to the Georgia Department of Health, a metro Atlanta teen was hospitalized after eating salad containing romaine at a couple of different restaurants in the area. The teen also age bagged romaine bought at a grocery store in the metro area.

Georgia is one of three new states to report the illness, along with Colorado and South Dakota.

The CDC's investigation has not identified a common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand of romaine lettuce, only that it was grown in Yuma, Ariz.

Product labels often do not identify growing regions, and the CDC is advising consumers not to buy or eat any romaine lettuce unless they know where it was grown. The warning also applies to whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce.

"If you do not know if the lettuce in a salad mix is romaine, do not eat it," the CDC said.

A total of 84 people infected with E. coli have been reported in 19 states. Forty-two have been hospitalized, including nine who have developed a type of kidney failure.

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CDC Recommendations:

• CDC recommends that consumers avoid all romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region, including whole heads and hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce.

• Do not eat or buy romaine lettuce unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region.

• Product labels often do not identify growing regions; so, do not eat or buy it if you do not know where it was grown. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, do not eat it.

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