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April 18, 2018 www.DesertMessenger.com 3 • Birth • Obituary • Anniversary Place it FREE in the: Desert Messenger! 928-916-4235 Got something to share? E. coli outbreak linked to chopped Romaine lettuce from Yuma ADHS Advises Residents to Not Eat and Throw Away Chopped Romaine Lettuce Three Arizona Residents Are Confi rmed with E. coli Relat- ed to a Multi-State Outbreak The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is advis- ing residents to not eat and dispose of store-bought chopped romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing chopped romaine lettuce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration in- dicated a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157 is likely associated with chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region. Three cases of E. coli in Arizona have been linked to this multistate outbreak. "E. coli can cause serious illness, so it is critical that everyone take precautions by not eating store- bought chopped romaine lettuce, even if you or someone from your family has consumed the product and did not get sick," said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona De- partment of Health Services. "If you or someone from your family recently ate store-bought chopped romaine lettuce and are experienc- ing symptoms, please seek medical treatment immediately." Symptoms of E. coli O157 include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), and abdominal pain. E. coli O157 in- fection ranges from mild to severe, with symptoms lasting about fi ve to seven days in most people. Young children, the elderly, and the im- mune-compromised are at risk of developing Hemolytic Uremic Syn- drome (HUS), a potentially life- threatening illness that can cause kidney failure. The CDC and the FDA are also advising people that before they eat lettuce from a restaurant to confi rm that the product used to prepare the meal is not chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region. ADHS is working with local health departments, the CDC, and the FDA to confi rm the source of the E. coli O157 infections, to iden- tify additional cases, and to prevent the spread of the disease. According to James Rogers, Ph.D., director of Food Safety and Re- search at Consumer Reports, if E. coli (or any other type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning) is present in your produce, washing it won't remove all of those or- ganisms. And it doesn't take much bacteria to make you sick. To prevent foodborne illness, ADHS advises everyone to thor- oughly wash hands with soap and water prior to food preparation or consumption, and after using the toilet. Wash fruits and vegetables before eating or handling. Avoid cross-contamination of food during preparation by washing hands, cut- ting boards, utensils, and any food preparation surfaces. Through an abundance of cau- tion Rose Acre Farms of Seymour, Indiana is voluntarily recalling 206,749,248 eggs because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Braenderup, an or- ganism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune sys- tems. Healthy individuals infected with Salmonella Braenderup can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella Braenderup can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial in- fections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. The eggs were distributed from the farm in Hyde County, North Caroli- na and reached consumers in the fol- lowing states: Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia through retail stores and restaurants via direct delivery. 22 illnesses have been reported to date. The affected eggs, from plant number P-1065 with the Julian date range of 011 through date of 102 207 million eggs in nine states recalled over salmonella fears printed on either the side portion or the principal side of the carton or package The voluntary recall was a result of some illnesses reported on the U.S. East Coast, which led to extensive interviews and eventually a thor- ough FDA inspection of the Hyde County farm, which produces 2.3 million eggs a day. The facility in- cludes 3 million laying hens with a USDA inspector on-site daily. Consumers who have purchased shells eggs are urged to immedi- ately discontinue use of the recalled eggs and to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Con- sumers with questions may contact the company at (855) 215-5730 be- tween the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard time. Corner of Moon Mt. & Cowell • Quartzsite • 928-927-5400 QUARTZSITE'S ONLY YEAR ROUND SALON - MON-FRI Cheyanne and Debbi ARE HERE FOR YOUR OPEN YEAR ROUND! Hair, Nails, and Pedicure Services DEADLINE : WED. APRIL 25 for the may 2 nd edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com

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