Altoona Area High School student Mia Zlupko was shocked when doctors told her some scary news.
“All the doctors came in, and it was kind of like a big surprise like ‘It’s E.Coli,'” Mia said.
The 16-year-old is a dancer who enjoys eating healthy. It’s not uncommon for her to grab a salad from the store, which is exactly what she did earlier this month. However, after eating it she became sick and was throwing up with abdominal pain.
“It was a scary process and I wouldn’t want to go through it again,” she said. “I know everyone else wouldn’t want to go through it.”
After four days in the hospital no one could figure out what exactly was wrong.
Just as Mia was heading home she learned her diagnosis. A relief for her mom Tina.
“Had we not gone back to the doctor and then gone to the emergency room, she could have gotten much sicker very quickly,” Tina Zlupko explained.
Now the teen is hoping to share an important message with others so no one else has to go through what she did.
“I’m definitely more aware and I want other people to be aware about it,” Mia said.
The CDC advisory now includes chopped and bagged romaine lettuce, as well as whole heads and hearts of romaine lettuce.
So far at least 64 people have been infected in 16 states. Pennsylvania is one place that has been hit the hardest with at least 12 people infected.
Officials think the outbreak is coming from Yuma, Arizona. They warn people not to eat any romaine lettuce unless you know where it’s from.