CDC warns of ‘fast-moving’ E. coli outbreak

Chobi DebRoy, director of the Gastroenteric Disease Center at Pennsylvania State University, walks through the interior of the Wiley Lab in State College, Pa., Friday, Sept. 29, 2006. The roughly 70,000 specimens of E. coli, housed in glass vials stored safely in freezers and steel cabinets in the back of DebRoy's research center, are part of what Penn State University calls one of the largest such collections in the country. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of an outbreak of “fast-moving” E. coli in the Midwest. The outbreak has sent nine people to the hospital, the CDC said.

According to the CDC, the outbreak has caused 37 illnesses. It is unknown what caused the outbreak.

Testing indicated that people likely became ill by consuming the same type of food. The CDC reported that many of the sick reported eating sandwiches with romaine lettuce at Wendy’s restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before they became sick.

Cases were recorded between July 26 and Aug. 6. The CDC updated the illnesses to 37 on Friday. Caution was also urged because the CDC said it could add more recent cases to the list.

The CDC encourages the public to seek treatment if they have a fever of over 102 degrees, diarrhea that is bloody or lasts for three days, or vomiting so much that they can’t keep liquids down. The agency also encourages the public to properly clean, separate, cook and chill foods.

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