No deaths were reported.
A specific food has not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, according to the CDC, but 22 of 26 sick people said they ate sandwiches at Wendy’s restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania before becoming ill.
As a precaution, Wendy’s is removing the romaine lettuce used in sandwiches from restaurants in that region, as most sick people reported eating romaine lettuce sandwiches, the agency said.
The CDC said it doesn’t advise that people should avoid eating at Wendy’s restaurants or that people stop eating romaine lettuce.
The agency is investigating to confirm whether romaine lettuce is the source of the outbreak and whether the lettuce used in Wendy’s stores was served or sold in other stores.
Nineteen infections have been reported in Ohio, 15 in Michigan and two in Pennsylvania. Another case was reported in Indiana. Three of Michigan’s cases involve people with a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, the CDC said.
Those who have E. coli symptoms are urged to call their doctor right away, write down what they ate the week before, and report the illness to their local or state health department.