Federal health officials said that while 37 people had been sickened and 10 hospitalized, it was safe to eat at the fast-food chain and to buy romaine lettuce.Federal health officials said on Friday that romaine lettuce on sandwiches from Wendy’s restaurants was possibly responsible for the “fast-moving” E. coli outbreak that has sickened dozens and hospitalized 10 people.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a specific food had not yet been confirmed, but most of those sickened reported having eaten sandwiches with romaine lettuce at Wendy’s restaurants in the week before their illness started. Of 26 people interviewed, 22 reported eating at a Wendy’s restaurant in Michigan, Ohio or Pennsylvania, the C.D.C. said.In total, 37 people have become ill though 11 of them have yet to be interviewed. No deaths have been reported.Lettuce used on the sandwiches differs from what is used in the chain’s salads, the company and C.D.C. said.“We are fully cooperating with public health authorities on their ongoing investigation of the regional E. coli outbreak reported in certain Midwestern states,” Wendy’s said in a statement. “While the C.D.C. has not yet confirmed a specific food as the source of that outbreak, we are taking the precaution of removing the sandwich lettuce from restaurants in that region.”Health officials said that people should not avoid eating at Wendy’s or buying romaine lettuce.“At this time, there is no evidence to indicate that romaine lettuce sold in grocery stores, served in other restaurants or in people’s homes is linked to this outbreak,” the C.D.C. said in a news release.On Wednesday, the agency said that 29 people had been sickened in an E. coli outbreak in Ohio and Michigan. By Friday, at least eight more people had been affected.A total of 19 cases were reported in Ohio and 15 in Michigan, including three patients who have hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. Cases were also reported in two more states, Pennsylvania, with two, and Indiana, with one. In total, 10 people are hospitalized, the C.D.C. said.E. coli is commonly found in the intestines of people and animals, and infections can begin when someone ingests food contaminated with feces, according to the C.D.C.E. coli symptoms, which include cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, usually start about three to four days after swallowing the bacteria, health officials said. Most people who are infected recover without treatment within five to seven days, though people are encouraged to still contact their health care provider if they experience symptoms.In 2019, an E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce infected 167 people in 27 states, the C.D.C. said. No deaths were reported but 85 people were hospitalized, including 15 people who had kidney failure.Those cases were caused by the same strain of E. coli that led to outbreaks linked to leafy greens in 2017 and to romaine lettuce in 2018, lab testing and data analysis showed.

The bacteria, Burkholderia pseudomallei, was found along the Gulf Coast region of Southern Mississippi. Previously, it had been detected in parts of Asia and Australia.A potentially deadly bacteria was found for the first time in water and soil samples in the United States, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to alert doctors and public health experts throughout the country on Wednesday to take it into consideration when examining patients.The bacteria, Burkholderia pseudomallei, was detected in the Gulf Coast region of Southern Mississippi. Exposure to the bacteria can cause melioidosis, a “rare and serious disease,” according to the C.D.C.; about one in every 4,600 people exposed are found to have the disease, according to a study from 2019. The study also found that about 90,000 people die annually from melioidosis.“Once well-established in the soil, B. pseudomallei cannot feasibly be removed from the soil,” the C.D.C wrote in its health advisory. “Public health efforts should focus primarily on improving identification of cases so that appropriate treatment can be administered.”The samples show that the bacteria has been present in the Mississippi region since at least 2020, when one person in the Gulf Coast region was found to have melioidosis, though it is unclear exactly how long Burkholderia pseudomallei, also known as B. pseudomallei, has been in the area.The bacteria has previously been found in regions with tropical and subtropical climates around the world, like South and Southeast Asia, northern Australia and parts of Central and South America. The C.D.C. said that modeling showed that southern Mississippi’s climate was also conducive to growing it.The environmental sampling in Mississippi was conducted after two patients in the area received diagnoses of melioidosis, two years apart — one in July 2020, the other in May 2022. The unnamed individuals were not related, the C.D.C said, but lived in “close geographical proximity,” and had not recently traveled out of the United States. Genomic sequencing data showed that both people had been infected by the same novel strain from the Western Hemisphere, officials said. Both patients were hospitalized and recovered after antibiotic therapy.Last month, the Mississippi State Department of Health and C.D. C collected environmental samples of soil, water and plant matter from the patients’ properties, household products and nearby areas they frequented.The bacteria can infect animals and people through direct contact or through cuts and wounds. The risk of spreading from person to person is low, officials said. Symptoms usually occur between one day to three weeks after exposure.Most melioidosis cases occur outside of the United States, the C.D. C said. But last year, four people in four different states were infected with melioidosis after using contaminated aromatherapy spray sold at Walmart. Two of the four people died, officials said.Melioidosis symptoms are nonspecific and vary from person to person, the C.D. C said, but symptoms include fever, localized pain or swelling, chest pain and headaches. People with diabetes, excessive alcohol use, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease and immunosuppressive conditions are more susceptible to the bacteria. Officials said a quick diagnosis and antibiotics were crucial.B. pseudomallei isn’t the only thing found in soil that can also cause illness.Valley fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by a fungus that lives in the soil in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America. It is contracted by breathing in the microscopic fungal spores from the air, although most people who breathe in the spores do not get sick, the C.D.C. said. In 2019, about 20,000 cases were reported to the agency, most from people living in Arizona or California.

The agency recommended that consumers avoid using the disinfection products because of high levels of radiation that could damage skin or eyes.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers against purchasing eight ultraviolet wands used for disinfection because of high levels of radiation that could cause injuries, the agency said on Wednesday.Some of the UV wands are said to have as much as 3,000 times the recommended amount of exposure to ultraviolet-C radiation, the F.D.A. said. The eight products are:Safe T Lite from Max-lux CorporationOttLite Rechargeable UVC Disinfecting wand, model UV10002M, from OttLite TechnologiesUVILIZER FLIP, model SG-153 from In My Bathroom LLC.Portable UV Light Wand Sterilizer, also from In My BathroomUltraviolet Sterilamp PURPLEGLOW from VanelcSharper Image UV Sanitizing Portable Wand, model 101362 from MerchSource LLCSurfaceSoap UV from PhoneSoap LLCMagic UV Light Sanitizer from Magic UV Light SanitizerUsing the products or coming near them might cause erythema, a burn-like skin reaction, or photokeratitis, an eye injury that can cause severe pain, after just a few seconds of exposure, the F.D.A. said. The products also lacked the proper safety information, the agency noted.“When a product is advertised to disinfect in seconds, it likely means that it gives off an unsafe level of UV-C radiation,” the agency wrote. “The F.D.A. recommends that consumers do not use these products and consider using safer alternative methods.”The F.D.A. sent letters to the product’s manufacturers warning them about the defect, the agency said, and it planned to work with the companies to “ensure adequate corrective actions.”Rochelle Torke, a spokeswoman for PhoneSoap, said the UV wand in question has undergone rigorous safety testing and also has a hand guard and “other features” that help prevent unsafe exposure to UV-C light.“Phonesoap takes these concerns very seriously and is actively engaged with F.D.A. to explore resolutions,” Ms. Torke wrote in a statement. “After 10 years of leadership in UV light technology, we’ve consistently put safety first with every product we’ve designed. Our UV sanitizing wand is no exception.”The other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Ultraviolet tools have been used for decades to help curb the spread of bacteria, the F.D.A. said. But amid the coronavirus pandemic, interest grew in the products as people searched for solutions to kill the virus. The ultraviolent disinfection industry is projected to grow to $8.3 billion by 2027, according to a report by Reportlinker.com earlier this year.Research shows that UV radiation can kill Covid-19 bacteria but the F.D.A. says more information is needed about how effective it is and how long and how strong the dose should be.Overexposure to UV radiation can lead to serious health issues, including skin cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Skin cancer is the most common type in the United States, with more than 88,000 new cases reported in 2019, the latest year for which data is available.