The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it has yet to determine the source of an E. coli outbreak that has infected 72 people in five states — an admission one expert in foodborne illness called “perplexing,” considering how many have fallen victim to the illness.
The recent spate of sickness, which began March 2, is directly linked to a strain of E. coli known as "O103,″ according to the CDC. Eight people have been hospitalized as a result of the O103 outbreak, however, no deaths have been reported. The patients ages range from 1 to 74 years old with a median age of 17.