E. coli outbreak sickens 72 people in 5 states, CDC says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is investigating an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 72 people in five states since Thursday.

The CDC has not identified the cause of the outbreak, which has been reported in Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. Half of the cases are in Kentucky.

{mosads}No deaths have been reported, but eight people have been hospitalized, the CDC said. The most recent reported illness was March 29, and the first was March 2.

The CDC is not recommending that consumers avoid any particular foods at this point. The agency said the source could be a specific food item, grocery store or restaurant chain.

An E. coli outbreak last year that stemmed from romaine lettuce grown in California sickened 62 people in 16 states.