U.S.: Deadly E.coli outbreak was likely caused by leafy greens, says CDC
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has said a deadly outbreak of E. coli that was discovered in December now appears to be over and leafy greens were most likely the source.
Infections were registered in 15 states across the U.S., including one death in California and nine hospitalizations.
On Dec. 11 the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced an outbreak of E. coli infections in three provinces linked to romaine lettuce. Five infections were identified in the U.S. the same day.
"This outbreak appears to be over. The likely source of the outbreak in the United States appears to be leafy greens, but the investigation did not identify a specific type of leafy greens as the source of the outbreak," the CDC said.
"Leafy greens typically have a short shelf life, and since the last illness started a month ago, it is likely that contaminated leafy greens linked to this outbreak are no longer available.
"Sometimes outbreaks end before enough information is available to identify the likely source. Officials thoroughly investigate each outbreak, and they are continually working to develop new ways to investigate and solve outbreaks faster."
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