At least eight people have been sickened at Nome’s Anvil Mountain Correctional Center by an outbreak of E.Coli bacteria attributed to contaminated romaine lettuce from Arizona.
The state departments of health and social services, corrections and environmental conservation announced the outbreak via email Thursday afternoon.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contaminated lettuce has sickened at least 53 people in 16 states.
A report issued Wednesday by the CDC said 31 people have been hospitalized by illnesses attributed to the contaminated lettuce.
The CDC and state officials are advising Alaskans to examine the source of their romaine lettuce, and if it is from Yuma, Arizona, they should throw it away without eating it.
The lettuce may appear in bagged salads or sold by the head at grocery stores.
Symptoms of E.Coli infection include bad stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Serious complications can result, including kidney failure and death.
Some lettuce has been pulled from Alaska grocery stores, including some in Juneau, as a precaution.
• Contact reporter James Brooks at jbrooks@juneauempire.com or 523-2258.
