The Department of Health is to contact local food suppliers after a large-scale outbreak of E. coli in the United States associated with romaine lettuce.

Authorities in the US are trying to control a series of outbreaks.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Locally, [the Department of] Environmental Health will be contacting food suppliers to follow up.

“The warning does not apply to locally grown romaine lettuce.

“At this time, there have not been reports locally to the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit.

“Surveillance will be able to confirm the source as food histories are taken of all reported confirmed gastroenteritis, including E. coli.”

The Centre for Disease Control is advising consumers in America to dispose of any romaine lettuce and to sanitise areas it may have come into contact with.

• For more information on the outbreak in America visit:https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index.html