Four more states have reported E. coli contaminations in romaine lettuce, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.
Twenty-eight more people have become ill, bringing the total to 149 people in 29 states. Florida, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Texas were added to the rolls.
Data collection can take time to reach the CDC, meaning that there may be several other instances of people getting sick that haven’t been reported. The total count comes from data as of April 25.
The strain of E. coli that has circulated begins to sicken people roughly five days after they eat infected lettuce, and they remain ill for about a week with vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and stomach cramps. The E. coli strain also can cause other severe symptoms, such as a type of kidney failure.
Of those who have reported illnesses, 64 spent time in the hospital and 17 of them had the kidney syndrome.
The CDC reported last week that one death in California had been linked to the illness.
One of the outbreaks started at a correctional facility in Alaska, caused by lettuce that came from the Yuma, Ariz., region. Officials with the Food and Drug Administration and CDC said they are still trying to find out how the lettuce became contaminated with E. coli. That batch has not been found to be associated with other outbreaks.
CDC officials have told consumers not to buy or eat lettuce from the Yuma region and to avoid romaine if they don’t know where it’s coming from.
