The epidemic of E. Coli has sickened more than 70 people, says the CDC

A E. coli According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, epidemics of unknown origin have made dozens of people sick in several states, which would have prompted federal and state authorities to investigate its case.

The CDC said Friday that reports on people infected with the Shiga-producing toxin E. coli O103 started in early March. This week, the CDC said the outbreak had affected 72 people in five states – Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia – with 17% of these people having been hospitalized.

The CDC reported that 36 cases were in Kentucky, which currently has the highest number of reported cases related to the epidemic. However, state officials said Friday that the figure had risen to 46, according to the Courier-Journal, which means that the number of cases reported by the CDC could be slightly lower than the latest figure.

"Kentucky health care providers have been informed of this potential threat and are working with us to ensure that patients are identified and receive appropriate care," said Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Jeff Howard, in a statement released last week. "In the meantime, we encourage all Kentuckians to become aware of the signs and symptoms of E. coli illness and to seek treatment if they are sick. "

Barbara Fox, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, told the Courier-Journal that state officials were working to identify the potential for overlapping foods that the Affected people could have eaten before falling sick.

The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the US Department of Agriculture's food inspection and safety department, as well as the states, are currently looking for a potential source of the outbreak. The CDC stated that consumers are not discouraged from eating – or from restaurants serving a meal – for the moment.

The CDC said that people infected with the virus producing Shiga toxin E. coli usually begin to feel symptoms a few days after ingestion. Symptoms include stomach cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhea, although the CDC notes that the symptoms may be different depending on the individual. In most cases, people recover in about a week or less.

[CDC]