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State health department: NH's two E. coli cases were in Belknap, Merrimack counties

Keene Sentinel - 11/22/2018

Nov. 22--CONCORD -- On the heels of a federal advisory against eating any romaine lettuce as officials investigate a multi-state outbreak of E. coli infections, the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services is urging anyone diagnosed with illness involving that strain of E. coli to contact the state's Division of Public Health Services.

The strain involved in the current outbreak is E. coli O157:H7. Of the 32 infections reported in 11 states, two of the cases were in New Hampshire, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those cases were in Belknap and Merrimack counties, Sarah Stanley, a spokeswoman for the state health department, said Wednesday in an email to The Sentinel.

"E. coli O157 bacteria can cause serious illness if consumed, and unfortunately two individuals in NH have been affected by this national outbreak. Until we know more information, we recommend people avoid eating romaine lettuce in any form," State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in a news release from the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services Wednesday. "Contaminated foods may not look, smell, or taste different so there is no way to tell if food is contaminated. We will continue to work with the CDC to identify and investigate any individuals who develop an illness associated with this outbreak."

The CDC's food safety alert pertains to all romaine lettuce, in stores and in restaurants, and includes bagged salad mixes containing romaine lettuce. The federal health department urges people to throw away any romaine lettuce in their homes -- even lettuce that has already been partially consumed without triggering any apparent illness -- as well as to sanitize drawers and shelves where this type of produce may have been kept.

E. coli O157:H7, which can be deadly, can cause dehydration and bloody diarrhea, according to the state health department's news release, which notes that senior citizens, young children and people whose immune systems are compromised are at heightened risk for foodborne sicknesses.

New Hampshire residents diagnosed with an E. coli O157:H7 infection are advised to contact the state's public health services division at 271-4496.

The CDC's advisory on romaine lettuce, as well as additional information on the outbreak, is available at https://bit.ly/2Dzorjd.

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(c)2018 The Keene Sentinel (Keene, N.H.)

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