Health officials have reported a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. The people who got sick had all eaten at the same national fast-food chain. This type of report is how public health agencies alert the public and other doctors about a potential problem they are investigating.
The report does not say how many people are sick, which states are involved, or what specific menu item might be the source. It also does not report on how severe the illnesses have been or if anyone has been hospitalized. This is common for early outbreak reports, as investigators work to gather more information.
This is an active investigation notice, not the final results of a study. The main reason to be careful is that the information is very preliminary. Readers should know that health officials are looking into this situation. If you have concerns about recent illness, contact your healthcare provider.