14 sick with 3 hospitalized and 1 death in six states.

Screen Shot 2012-06-11 at 8.53.36 AM.pngCalifornia is over 1,600 miles from Louisiana. I wonder if the California patient was visiting the South in the days before they began to get sick? Or, is there a common food or drink item that has that range of distribution?

According to the CDC, a total of 14 persons infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O145 infection have been identified in 6 states.

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), California (1), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Louisiana (4), and Tennessee (1).

Three ill persons have been hospitalized; one death has been reported in Louisiana.

Based on interviews conducted to date, a source for these infections has not been identified. If a specific source is identified, public health officials will advise the public and take steps to prevent additional illnesses.

Dates for patients’ onset of illness range from April 15 to May 12, 2012. It has been approximately 4 weeks since the last illness onset among reported cases. Although this indicates that this outbreak could be over, CDC continues to work with state public health officials to identify additional cases and the source of these STEC O145 infections.