Mike Moffitt is reporting for the Times Union the public is being warned to avoid romaine lettuce after E. coli food poisoning killed two people and sickened at least 58 others in the U.S. and Canada. Thirteen states have been affected, including New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The source of the romaine outbreak has not yet been determined and U.S. health officials are now in the process of investigating the outbreaks. Until that happens, Consumer Reports is advising people to avoid romaine and choose other kinds of lettuce. The E. coli strain identified as causing this outbreak produces a toxin that in some cases can lead to serious illness, kidney failure and, in some cases, death. Read the full story in the Times Union.