Leafy greens cause E.coli outbreaks about once a year according to information compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Leafy greens are suspect in a current E.coli outbreak in Canada that has sickened at least 12 people since mid-March. Canadian health officials say leafy greens such as lettuces, kale, spinach, arugula, or chard are a common exposure for those who became ill.
In the U.S., there have been at least 15 multistate outbreaks attributed to leafy greens such as romaine or iceberg lettuce, spinach and bagged salad mixes since 1998. E. coli O157:H7 was the source of most of the outbreaks, but E.coli O145 was also a source.
Some recent multistate E. coli outbreaks attributed to leafy greens include a 2013 outbreak linked to ready-to-eat salads sold at Trader Joe’s, Coscto and Walgreens stores. That outbreak sickened 33 people in four states. Two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of E.coli infections that causes kidney failure.
In 2012, spinach and spring mix sold at Wegmans and other East Coast grocery stores sickened 33 people in five states. The salad greens were produced by State Garden of Chelsea, Mass. and sold in plastic, clamshell containers.
The largest leafy green E.coli outbreak in the U.S. was in 2006, when 238 people in 26 states were sickened by bagged spinach sold at grocery stores.
