Four states in the Midwestern United States are experiencing outbreaks of E. coli bacteria from an unknown source.
An outbreak of E. coli bacteria in four Midwestern states from an unknown source has affected 47 more people, bringing the total to 84, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.
The centers noted that “of the 62 people interviewed, 52 had eaten at Wendy’s in the week before their illness began, and 38 had been hospitalized.”
According to Reuters, the centers added that “the actual number of patients is likely to be higher than the number of registered cases, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states where the cases appeared.”
The new cases represent an increase from last Friday, when the US CDC opened an investigation after 37 people were infected across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “many of these people were eating romaine lettuce sandwiches at Wendy’s before they got sick.”
The CDC has not recommended eating at Wendy’s or asked people to avoid romaine lettuce because the exact cause of the outbreak is not yet known.
As a precaution, the company that owns the restaurant chain confirmed that “lettuce in sandwiches has been replaced in some affected areas.”
For its part, the burger chain told Reuters in an email: “We are fully cooperating with public health authorities in their ongoing investigation into the local E. coli outbreak.”
When the first outbreak was announced, Wendy’s said it was “taking precautionary measures to remove lettuce sandwiches from its restaurants in the region,” knowing that in four states (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania) approximately 1,100 of the chain’s 5,940 There is. Restaurants in the United States. .
Although many types of E. coli bacteria are found in the intestines of healthy people and animals and are harmless, certain types can cause severe intestinal blockage, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.
A person may be exposed to Escherichia coli through water or food contaminated with the bacteria, especially raw vegetables, undercooked ground meat, and pasteurized milk.
Healthy adults often recover from an E. coli infection within a week, but children and the elderly are at greater risk of developing life-threatening forms of kidney failure from the infection.
The Mayo Clinic Medical website reported that if a person is exposed to Escherichia coli in food they eat or drink, they may develop symptoms within two days to several weeks after infection or exposure.
Symptoms of infection include diarrhea, which can range from mild and watery to severe and bloody, stomach cramps, sensitivity or pain, and nausea and vomiting.
There is no vaccine or drug that protects against every disease associated with E. coli, although researchers are working to confirm the effectiveness of some potential vaccines.
To reduce your chance of exposure to E. coli bacteria, you should avoid drinking lake or pond water, wash your hands thoroughly, and avoid unclean or contaminated food.
You should also take care of public hygiene, wash your hands before eating and cook the “burger” until it is fully cooked.
Source: Lebanon Debate
