Wendy's linked to E.coli outbreak in four US states

Wendy's restaurants are being probed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the E.coli outbreak in the United States. It was reported that at least 37 customers have fallen ill after consuming sandwiches from some of the burger joint's outlets in four states.

In connection with the possible contamination of the E.coli bacteria and amid the ongoing investigation of the CDC, Wendy's removed the lettuce from its sandwiches in certain store outlets. Then again, it was clarified that its salad menu items are still available for sale because its lettuce supplies are not affected by the outbreak.

While the CDC said that it is probing the E.Coli infections in four states, it only indicated that it is looking into food items from an unknown food source. However, many of the people who were affected were revealed to have eaten sandwiches at Wendy's restaurants.

As per Reuters, in the 37 customers who were confirmed to have fallen ill, 22 of them said they have consumed Wendy's sandwiches that have romaine lettuce in them. These customers bought their food from the fast-food's branches in Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. They have eaten the sandwich within the week before they became sick.

The customers mentioned the romaine lettuce, but officials on the case still have to confirm if this was the cause of the E.Coli infection. The investigators are also checking if the vegetable that was supplied to Wendy's was also used or sold in other stores or businesses.

The illness was reported between July 26 and Aug. 8, and NBC News reported that 10 people were hospitalized and three people in Michigan developed some kind of kidney failure. The CDC said that while it is only reporting 37 people, the exact number of affected individuals could be higher as the outbreak may also be present in other states.

Wendy's removed the romaine lettuce in its sandwiches as a precaution, and it was noted that the fast-food chain has about 1,100 locations in the mentioned four states. Meanwhile, the authorities are still figuring out the cause of the outbreak, and the CDC clarified that it is alright to buy food at Wendy's as the romaine lettuce is mainly safe to eat.