Health officials say a second woman from Mahoning County is one of the 35 people in 11 states affected by an E. coli outbreak likely linked to chopped romaine lettuce from Arizona.

The Ohio Department of Health tells 21 News that a 24-year-old woman in Mahoning County became ill from E. coli on March 26.

Unlike another 24-year-old Mahoning County woman who contracted the illness two days earlier, the second victim was not hospitalized. The earlier victim has since been released from the hospital.

State health officials say the two Mahoning County women are the only confirmed cases in Ohio. The names of the women have not been released for privacy reasons.

On Friday the Centers for Disease Control said that it had determined that 35 people in eleven states were included in the outbreak.

Possible Source

Thc CDC says evidence indicates that chopped romaine lettuce is the likely source of the outbreak.

Some of the lettuce under investigation was sold at Walmart and Sam's Club stores according to walmart.com

Twenty-six of 28 people interviewed said they ate romaine lettuce in the week before their illness started.

Most people reported eating a salad at a restaurant, and romaine lettuce was the only common ingredient identified among the salads eaten.

The restaurants reported using bagged, chopped romaine lettuce to make salads.

At this time, ill people are not reporting that they ate whole heads or hearts of romaine.

Investigators are trying to determine the source of chopped romaine lettuce supplied to restaurant locations where ill people ate.

Although no common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand has been identified, the CDC says preliminary information indicates that the chopped romaine lettuce was from the Yuma, Arizona growing region.

The illnesses started on dates ranging from March 22 to March 31.

Ill people range in age from 12 to 84 years, with a median age of 29.

Sixty-nine percent of ill people are female.

Twenty-two ill people have been hospitalized, including three people who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure.

No deaths have been reported.

Illnesses that occurred after March 27, 2018, might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill with E. coli and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of two to three weeks.

Source: CDC

CDC Advice to Consumers:

Consumers anywhere in the United States who have store-bought chopped romaine lettuce at home, including salads and salad mixes containing chopped romaine lettuce, should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, do not eat it and throw it away.

Before purchasing romaine lettuce at a grocery store or eating it at a restaurant, consumers should confirm with the store or restaurant that it is not chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region. If you cannot confirm the source of the romaine lettuce, do not buy it or eat it.

CDC Advice to Restaurants and Retailers:

Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any chopped romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing chopped romaine lettuce, from the Yuma, Arizona growing region.

Restaurants and retailers should ask their suppliers about the source of their chopped romaine lettuce.