ATLANTA – Consumers are being advised to avoid eating romaine lettuce until the cause of a dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria found in the popular vegetable in the U.S. and Canada has been found.

Consumer Reports and the Centers of Disease Control reported in the past seven weeks that 58 people have become ill, with five hospitalized and two who died, from E. coli bacteria likely from eating raw romaine lettuce. No local cases have been reported.

The infections have occurred in California, Canada and 12 other states, according to Consumer Reports. The five hospitalized are in the Unit...