The Daily O’Collegian

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — At least 17 people have been hospitalized and 40 or more cases are being investigated after a severe illness outbreak hit residents of several communities in northeastern Oklahoma, state health officials said Tuesday.

The outbreak is already responsible for one death, Chad Ingle, 26, who worked at RCB Bank in Pryor. Health officials also confirmed Tuesday that several children are among the ill.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health said it could know as early as Wednesday the source of the illness, which may be related to E. coli bacteria.

Those who were sickened include residents from Bixby, Pryor, Sand Springs, Locust Grove, Broken Arrow, Peggs, Tulsa and McAlester. Health officials said many of those who became sick ate at the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove, a community of about 1,500 located 50 miles east of Tulsa but that it is too early to pinpoint the eatery as the source of the illness.

“It’s pretty hard to draw conclusions at this point,” said Health Department Spokesman Larry Weatherford.

“Clearly, there’s a connection with the people having eaten there, but there’s no confirmed source of the problem.”

The health department reported that the illnesses are very severe, and symptoms include bloody diarrhea, vomiting and severe abdominal cramping.

The Locust Grove eatery normally is closed on Mondays and voluntarily closed on Tuesday, health officials said.

Health officials said the restaurant passed a surprise inspection over the weekend, but online health department records show inspectors discovered nine violations, including two that directly relate to causes of food-borne illnesses.

The inspection report indicates food at the restaurant that should be kept cooler than 41 degrees was heated above that temperature and that food required to be kept warmer than 140 degrees had cooled below that temperature.

“From what I understand, that’s a common problem with buffet tables,” Weatherford said. “It has to be considered in the context of restaurant inspections. When you say a restaurant passes inspection, it means they are not shut down.”

Health officials say there are several ways disease-causing E. coli bacteria can be spread, including under cooked meat or cross-contamination of other foods, such as salad, fruits or vegetables, by a food handler or contaminated kitchen utensils.