FLORIDA — The E. coli outbreak tied to ground beef has spread to ten states including Florida.
- Florida included in list of states with E. coli
- E. coli linked to ground beef
- At least 156 people have become sick
Federal officials are now saying at least 156 people in 10 states are sick. The outbreak has now expanded to include: Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi and Minnesota.
The illness is linked to tainted ground beef eaten at home as well as restaurants.
Twenty people have been hospitalized, however, no deaths have been reported.
The cases include people who've eaten the beef since March 1, the agency said, but it's unknown which supplier, distributor, or brand of beef is involved.
"Traceback investigations are ongoing to determine the source of raw ground beef supplied to grocery stores and restaurant locations where ill people reported eating," the CDC said.
Meanwhile, Colorado Premium Foods recalled more than 113,000 pounds of raw ground beef products due to possible E. coli contamination, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said Tuesday in a statement. The Georgia company said the ground beef items were produced on March 26 and 29, and on April 2, 5, 10 and 12.
There's no established link between the product and the ongoing E. coli outbreak, according to the statement.
Officials say people can prevent the spread of E. coli by cooking ground beef properly and by washing their hands while preparing the meat.
Some information from CNN used in this report.