The wording that has been used in the Oklahoma State Health Department releases have left us with no doubt that the number of victims in the E. coli 0111 outbreak could continue to increase.   That happened on Friday, when the total number climbed to 291.  We were waiting for more detail, which has yet to come out.   Since its now Monday, we though we’d best pass along what was said. Here you go:

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) said Friday, Sept. 12th that  its investigation of the E. coli 0111 outbreak in northeastern Oklahoma has now confirmed at least 291 persons have become ill. Of that number, 227 were adults and 46 were children; the ages of 18 cases have not yet been identified. One person has died.

At least 67 persons have been hospitalized including 16 who have received dialysis treatment. Of that number, nine were children and seven were adults.

More than 1,700 persons have been interviewed thus far, including 228 persons on Thursday. Today is the last day the OSDH will interview persons who ate at the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove, OK, Aug. 15-17. In particular, the OSDH wants to talk with families with young children who ate at the restaurant and did not become ill. Persons can call the OSDH at 1-800-990-2769 through 8 p.m. today.

The OSDH, Tulsa Health Department, and a team from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also investigating an event catered by the Country Cottage restaurant at the Bethany Free Will Baptist Church in Broken Arrow on Aug. 16. About 250 persons attended the event and health investigators have interviewed about 160 thus far to see if they became ill after eating at the event and if so, what their symptoms were. At least 30 of those attending have indicated they became ill with diarrhea or other milder symptoms.