Outbreaks involving fresh produce do happen in other countries — they’re just not so well reported.

Soderstrom et al. do a nice job in the current Foodborne Pathogens and Disease describing a 2005 outbreak of E. coli O157 in Sweden.

"A total of 135 cases were recorded, including 11 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome. The epidemiological investigations implicated lettuce as the most likely source of the outbreak, with an OR of 13.0 (CI 2.94–57.5) in the case–control study. The lettuce was irrigated by water from a small stream, and water samples were positive for Stx 2 by PCR. The identical VTEC O157 Stx 2 positive strain was isolated from the cases and in cattle at a farm upstream from the irrigation point."

Watch that irrigation water.