| ■ One Dead, Hundreds Ill in Oklahoma E. Coli Outbreak | 2008.09.08 |
| At least one person has died and 206 have been sickened in an E. coli outbreak linked to a restaurant in Locust Grove, Okla., a community of 1,500 people about 50 miles east of Tulsa. Those who've become sick range in age from 2 months to 88 years. The outbreak was first reported by health officials on Aug. 25, and the Country Cottage restaurant has been closed voluntarily for more than a week, the Associated Press reported. The exact source of the contamination hasn't been pinpointed. Health officials are testing food preparation surfaces at the restaurant and interviewing people who became ill. "The complexity of this outbreak and the necessity to be extremely thorough in our investigation means we still have more questions than answers," state epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley said in a statement, the AP reported. |