Ohio E.Coli Outbreak Worsens, 12 Sickened

The number of Ohioans sickened by an outbreak of e. coli has risen, the CDC reported this week. At least 12 Ohioans have been affected.

Nationwide, the number of sickened people has grown to 196. The majority of Ohio cases have been documented in the southern portion of the state, in Hamilton and Clermont counties.

The majority of documented cases have been found in three states: Georgia (49), Kentucky (69) and Tennessee (55). Ohio has the fourth most documented cases of e. coli connected to this outbreak, according to CDC data.

However, a timeline of the outbreak shows a slowing of people being sickened. The CDC went six days without discovered a new case connected to this e.coli outbreak in April, before another patient was discovered.

CDC investigators believe this outbreak of e. coli is connected to ground beef. Two companies have recalled ground beef products as a precaution. However, officials haven't identified a supplier, distributor or brand of beef that is responsible for the outbreak.

The infected patients included some who'd eaten the meat since March 1. According to the CDC, the outbreak of E.coli O103 illnesses began appearing between March 2 and March 29. The infected people range in age from 1-years-old to 74-years-old. The average age of the infected is 17.

Grant Park Packing in Franklin Park, Illinois recalled about 53,000 pounds of raw ground beef that might be contaminated, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said. K2D Foods, doing business as Colorado Premium Foods, in Carrollton, Georgia, recalled about 113,000 pounds of raw ground beef.