E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grows to 84 cases

YUMA, Ariz. – U.S. health officials say the E. coli outbreak linked to tainted romaine lettuce has grown and sickened 84 people from 19 states.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said Wednesday that at least another 31 cases are believed to be tied to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona.

The agency says those infected range in age from 1 to 88. More than half of are female.

Forty-two people have been hospitalized, including nine battling kidney failure.

Agency officials say the illnesses started between March 13 and April 12.

The agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week issued a warning against eating all romaine lettuce.

Officials have not yet identified the source of the tainted lettuce except to say it came from the Yuma region.