Wendy’s E. Coli outbreak ‘far worse’ than originally thought with more than 100 poisoned and some hospitalized

THE Wendy's E. coli outbreak is far worse than authorities have admitted, according to a new report.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that 37 people in four states have become ill after eating the lettuce in Wendy's sandwiches,

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But, in reality, more than 100 people have contracted E. coli after consuming the restaurant's romaine lettuce, according to the New York Post.

The cases reported by the CDC have been in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Some of those affected were hospitalized and lawsuits against the fast food chain are piling up, the outlet reported.

Michigan alone has seen 98 reports of E. coli infections in August, per the state's health department. Comparably, there were only 20 cases during August last year.

The Michigan health department has linked 43 of the 98 cases to Wendy's and is waiting results on the others.

While the agency has not specified which food item is tied to the infections, they said they are focusing on the “sandwiches topped with romaine lettuce.”

Wendy’s has taken the precautionary measure of removing romaine lettuce from sandwiches from restaurants in “certain Midwestern states.”

Wendy’s uses a different type of romaine lettuce for salads.

Investigators are working to confirm whether romaine lettuce is the source of the outbreak and if romaine used in Wendy’s sandwiches was served or sold at other businesses, according to the CDC.

Wendy’s is fully cooperating with the investigation, the agency added.

While lettuce is one of the most common ingredients consumed by people sickened in the outbreak, investigators are continuing to analyze data to determine if other foods are carrying the bacteria.

"The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," CDC officials said.

"This is because some of the recent illnesses have not yet been reported to PulseNet as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."

Others may have recovered from the bacterial infection on their own and did not get tested.

Early findings from the CDC investigation showed that "bacteria from sick people's samples are closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food."

E.coli typically transmits to humans through contaminated foods.

Symptoms of an infection include fever, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and signs of dehydration.

The symptoms usually start within three to four days after the bacteria is swallowed, and most people recover without treatment within a week.