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Fatal E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce expanded to Ontario

Fresh Romano salad on wooden table
Fresh Romano salad on wooden tableRomaine Lettuce
At least one person has died as a result of E. coli illness linked to romaine lettuce.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says an E. coli outbreak has been linked to romaine lettuce. As of the latest update, Health Canada continues to investigate and says there are no product recalls at this time. There is no word yet on the source of the contaminated lettuce.

Health Canada is investigating 30 cases of E. coli illness in five provinces: There are six cases in Ontario, five in Quebec, five in New Brunswick, one in Nova Scotia, and 13 in Newfoundland and Labrador. The age range of cases is between 4 and 80 years old. 70% of the cases are women or girls.

Of these 30 cases, 12 have resulted in hospitalizations and one person has died. Health Canada says many of these people reported eating romaine lettuce before getting sick. Work is ongoing to track down the source of the lettuce.

Health Canada says the risk to Canadians is low, but here’s what to watch out for, if you’ve had romaine recently:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • headache
  • mild fever
  • severe stomach cramps
  • watery or bloody diarrhea

Symptoms can appear one to ten days after coming into contact with E. coli and will typically last five to ten days. Most people will recover on their own, but pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, young children, and the elderly are at greater risk of serious complications. Rarely, E. coli infection could lead to more serious symptoms including stroke, kidney failure and seizures, which could result in death.

Health Canada has some tips to protect your health:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, before and after handling lettuce.
  • Unwashed lettuce, including whole heads of lettuce sold in sealed bags, should be handled and washed using these steps:
    • Discard outer leaves of fresh lettuce.
    • Wash unpackaged lettuce under fresh, cool running water. There is no need to use anything other than water to wash lettuce. Washing it gently with water is as effective as using produce cleansers.
    • Keep rinsing your lettuce until all of the dirt has been washed away.
    • Don't soak lettuce in a sink full of water. It can become contaminated by bacteria in the sink.
    • Store lettuce in the refrigerator for up to seven days. Discard when leaves become wilted or brown.
    • Use warm water and soap to thoroughly wash all utensils, countertops and cutting boards before and after handling lettuce to avoid cross-contamination.
  • Ready-to-eat lettuce products sold in sealed packages and labelled as washed, pre-washed or triple washed do not need to be washed again. These products should also be refrigerated and used before the expiration date.

If you have any questions, you can contact Health Canada at: