At least 29 people have been sickened, nine of whom have been hospitalized, as an E.coli outbreak spreads across Ohio and Michigan, and food safety officials are investigating the possible cause of it, the Washington Posts reports.
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 15 people in Michigan and 14 Ohioans have verified cases, but the total number of infected is likely far less given most people can fend off a mild E.coli infection. Michigan state officials say they have identified 98 cases in August, an increase from 20 logged last August.
Unlike most other E.coli outbreaks where investigators can find a common source for the spread–like a common restaurant where patients ate or a common food they consumed–officials have not yet determined what these patients had in common, nor have they determined if the outbreak has one source.
Patients with E.coli infections experience diarrhea, fever, excessive vomiting and dehydration. Federal and state officials have asked people experiencing these symptoms to contact their doctors immediately and to make a record of what they remember eating in the days prior to experiencing symptoms.