CDC: Salinas Valley romaine lettuce safe to eat

Federal health officials announced Wednesday that an outbreak of illness from romaine lettuce harvested in the Salinas Valley is over.

MONTEREY COUNTY — Federal health officials announced Wednesday that an outbreak of illness from romaine lettuce harvested in the Salinas Valley is over.

“Contaminated romaine lettuce that made people sick in this outbreak harvested from the Salinas Valley growing region in California is no longer available for sale,” said a notice on the Centers for Disease Control website. “CDC is no longer advising that people avoid romaine lettuce from this growing region.”

A total of 167 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 were reported from 27 states. A total of 85 hospitalizations were reported, including 15 people who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially life-threatening type of kidney failure. No deaths were reported.

Epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback evidence indicated that the contaminated romaine lettuce was from the Salinas Valley growing region and that it was contaminated with a strain of E. coli  that can make people seriously ill.

The CDC did not identify any single farm in the Salinas Valley.