The current E. coli O157:H7 outbreak traced to chopped romaine lettuce is the latest in a string of almost 80 foodborne illness outbreaks linked to leafy greens in the past 23 years.

As of April 18, there were 53 people across 16 states confirmed to be infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. Those states and the number of cases in each are Alaska 1, Arizona 3, California 1, Connecticut 2, Idaho 10, Illinois 1, Louisiana 1, Michigan 2, Missouri 1, Montana 6, New Jersey 7, New York 2, Ohio 2, Pennsylvania, 12, Virginia 1 and Washington.

Federal officials and produce industry groups are stressing that only chopped romaine from the growing area near Yuma, AZ, has thus far been implicated in the current outbreak. But, a variety of leafy greens products have been the source of foodborne illness outbreaks since at least 1995.

Outlined here is a list of E. coli and other pathogen outbreaks involving contaminated lettuce or leafy greens.

DateCausative AgentIllnesses ReportedSource

Nov. 2017- Dec. 2017E. coli O157:H741, 1 death romaine lettuce

Dec. 2015-Jan. 2016Listeria monocytogenes19, 1 deathpackage salads

Apr. 2015Escherichia coli, Shiga toxin-producing7prepackaged leafy greens

Mar. 2015E. coli O157:H712leafy greens

Jul. 2014E. coli O11115Salad/cabbage served at Applebee’s  and Yard House (Minnesota)

Oct. 2013E. coli O157:H733Pre-packaged salads and sandwich wraps (California)

Jul. 2013E. coli O157:H794Lettuce served at Federico’s Mexican Restaurant

Jul. 2013Cyclospora140 (Iowa); 87 (Nebraska)Salad mix, cilantro

Dec. 2012 – Jan. 2013E. coli O157:H731Shredded lettuce from Freshpoint, Inc.

Oct. 2012E. coli O157:H733Leafy greens salad mix (Massachusetts)

Apr. 2012E. coli O157:H728Romaine lettuce

Dec. 2011Salmonella Hartford5Lettuce; roast beef

Dec. 2011Norovirus9Lettuce, unspecified

Oct. 2011E. coli O157:H758Romaine lettuce

Oct. 2011E. coli O157:H726Lettuce

Aug. 2011N/A8Lettuce; onions; tomatoes

Jul. 2011Cyclospora cayatenensis99Lettuce based salads

Jun. 2011Norovirus23Garden salad

Apr. 2011Salmonella Typhimirum36Multiple salads

Feb. 2011Norovirus24Garden salad

Jan. 2011Norovirus93Lettuce; salad, unspecified

Jul.-Oct. 2010Salmonella Java136Salad vegetable

May 2010E. coli O14533
(26 lab-/confirm/ied)Romaine Lettuce grown in Arizona

Apr. 2010Salmonella Hvittingfoss102Lettuce, tomatoes, and olives served at Subway restaurants

Jan. 2010E. coli260Lettuce grown in France

Dec. 2009Norovirus16Lettuce

Aug. 2009SalmonellaTyphimurium27Lettuce

Aug. 2009Salmonella spp124Romaine lettuce; Recalls issued by Tanimura & Antle, Inc. (lettuce), Muranaka Farm, Inc. (parsley), and Frontera Produce (cilantro)

Jul. 2009SalmonellaTyphimurium145Shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms

May. 2009Norovirus10Lettuce, onion, and tomato in chicken salad

Nov. 2008E. coli O157:H7130Romaine lettuce

Oct. 2008E. coli O157:H72Chopped shredded iceberg lettuce (Michigan)

Oct. 2008E. coli O157:H743 (Johnathan’s Family Restaurant), 21 (Little Red Rooster Restaurant), 12 (M.T. Bellies Restaurant)Lettuce

Oct. 2008Norovirus64Tomato relish, lettuce-based salad

Aug.-Sep. 2008E. coli O157:H774Lettuce  from Aunt Mid’s Produce Company (California)

Aug.-Oct. 2008E. coli O157:H713Spinach (Oregon)

May. 2008E. coli O157:H710Prepackaged lettuce

May. 2008E. coli O157:H76Pre-packaged salad

May 2008E. coli O157:H79Lettuce (California, U.S.)

Apr. 2008Salmonella Branderup12Green salad, tomato

Jul. 2007Shigella sonnei72Salad

Jul. 2007E. coli O157:H726Lettuce

Feb. 2007Norovirus8Lettuce

Jan. 2007Norovirus9Salad

Nov. 2006E. coli O157:H778Lettuce

Oct. 2006E. coli O157:H7205Pre-packaged baby spinach from Dole Food Company (California)

Sep. 2006Norovirus9Salad

Sep. 2005E. coli O157:H734Prepackaged bagged lettuce from Dole Food Company

Jun. 2006SalmonellaTyphimurium18Lettuce, tomatoes

Oct. 2005E. coli O157:H712grapes, green; lettuce, prepackaged

Nov. 2004E. coli O157:H76Lettuce, unspecified

Jul. 2004Salmonella Newport97Iceberg lettuce

Nov. 2003E. coli O157:H719Spinach, unspecified

Oct. 2003E. coli O157:H716Spinach, unspecified

Sep. 2003E. coli O157:H751Lettuce-based salads, unspecified

Nov. 2002E. coli O157:H760Romaine lettuce

Jul. 2002E. coli O157:H732Romaine lettuce from Spokane Produce (Washington)

Jul. 2002E. coli O157:H755Caesar salad

Nov. 2001E. coli O157:H720Lettuce-based salads, unspecified

Oct. 2000E. coli O157:H76Salad

May 2000Campylobacter jejuni13Salad

May 2000Norovirus3Salad

Feb. 2000Norovirus7Salad

Oct. 1999E. coli O157:H745Lettuce, salad

Oct. 1999E. coli O157:H747Salad

Oct. 1999Norovirus16Salad

Sep. 1999E. coli O157:H116Lettuce

Sep. 1999Norovirus115Lettuce

Sep. 1999E. coli O111:H858Salad

Aug. 1999Norovirus25Salad

May 1999Norovirus28Salad

Feb. 1999E. coli O157:H772Lettuce

May 1998E. coli O157:H72Salad

May 1996E. coli O157:H761Lettuce

Oct. 1995E. coli O153:H4611Lettuce

Sep. 1995E. coli O153:H4730Lettuce

Sep. 1995E. coli O157:H721Lettuce

Jul. 1995E. coli O153:H4874Lettuce