美国有线新闻 CNN 美国爆发大肠杆菌疫情 CDC呼吁民众停止食用长叶生菜（在线收听）

AZUZ: Romaine is another type that's getting attention for the wrong reason. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is warning that a recent E. coli outbreak is connected to romaine lettuce.

And this outbreak looks to be pretty widespread. It's affected at least 53 people in 16 states, including eight people at a prison in Alaska. But it's a lettuce growing area several states away, in Yuma, Arizona, that's believed to be the source of the outbreak.

Labels on packages often don't say where the lettuce is from. So, the CDC says people should throw out any romaine in their homes and avoid it at restaurants unless they know for sure that the lettuce isn't from Yuma.

No deaths have been reported as of last night. But five victims have developed a type of kidney failure as a result of the bacterial outbreak.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: E. coli is a type of bacteria. It lives in your intestines and it lives in the intestines of animals.

SUBTITLE: The Dangers of E. coli.

COHEN: Most of the time, E. coli is harmless. You're not going to get sick. But there are some strains that can get you sick.

E. coli 0157:H7 is a particularly dangerous strain of E. coli. You can get it from undercooked ground meat. You can get it from vegetables, from unpasteurized milk and juice, from soft cheeses.

While it is found in vegetables, ultimately, an animal is the source. So, animal waste somehow has come in contact with crops.

Children and adults with weakened immune system, they're the most vulnerable to getting very sick. The signs of E. coli poisoning are nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, fatigue and fever. Most people who get sick from E. coli, they recover in five to 10 days. But some people, they get really sick. Their organs can shut down and they can die.

There are things that you can do to prevent an E. coli infection. Wash your fruits and vegetables, cook your meats thoroughly, use a thermometer and get that thermometer up to 160 degrees.

There's no cure for an E. coli infection. Antibiotics don't work. So, the best thing you can do is keep yourself hydrated and keep yourself rested.