Health officials have linked a death in California to an E. coli outbreak from romaine lettuce grown in Arizona, and the numbers of sick people continues to increase.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the death — no other information other than it happened in California was released — May 2. The CDC also updated the case count in the outbreak tied to Arizona romaine to 121.
Illnesses have been reported in 25 states, and 52 people have been hospitalized, according to the latest CDC update. Fourteen people have experienced kidney failure.
The most recent illness began April 21.
Among the states with the most cases are California (24), Pennsylvania (20), Idaho (11) and Alaska, Arizona and Montana (8 each).
The Food and Drug Administration continues to search for the source of the chopped romaine from Arizona that has been linked to the majority of the illnesses.
The eight illnesses in Alaska — contracted in a correctional facility in Nome — have been traced to product from Harrison Farms in Yuma.
In its latest update April 27, the FDA said it had narrowed down its search for the product responsible for the rest of the illnesses to about two dozen farms.
At that time, the agency was still sifting through records and had not yet begun taking samples at farms.
The CDC and FDA continue to caution consumers not to eat romaine unless they can be sure it is not from Yuma, and the agencies have told retailers and restaurants not to sell or serve romaine unless they are sure it is not from the region.
