By: Aaron Gould Sheinin
December 10, 2019
Click here to read the original article at WebMd.com

Eight people are sick and three have been hospitalized after eating a Fresh Express salad kit possibly tainted with E. coli, the FDA says.

The FDA, CDC, state health authorities, and Canadian officials have been investigating an E. coli illness outbreak, and research shows that Fresh Express brand Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kits are the likely source.

The agencies warn consumers not to eat the Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kit with a UPC number of 0 71279 30906 4, a lot code beginning with “Z,” and a best-by date up to and including Dec. 7, 2019.

The illnesses have come from three states: Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

This particular strain of E.coli 0157:H7 is different from the larger E.coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas, CA, region.

It’s possible that the salad kits that people who became sick ate contained romaine from Salinas area, but federal officials say it could have come from another growing region. The investigation has not yet pinpointed one ingredient in the kits as the likely culprit of the outbreak.

Eating or drinking food or water contaminated with certain types of E. coli can cause mild to severe illness in your digestive system. Some types of pathogenic (illness-causing) E. coli, such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), can be life-threatening. E. coli 0157:H7 can also sometimes cause severe symptoms such as bloody diarrhea or vomiting. See your doctor right away if you have these symptoms.

People infected with E. coli normally notice symptoms anywhere from a few days after having contaminated food to as much as 9 days later. Generally, the symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting.