Oklahoma State Health Department spokeswoman Leslea Bennett-Webb reported that one person had died and dozens are sick after being apparently infected with E. coli. It is being suspected that all of them got the E. coli after eating at a restaurant in Locust Grove.

The bacterium has not been confirmed yet, but symptoms indicate that E. coli might be responsible. At least 11 patients were admitted to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa with symptoms of food poisoning along with a very severe and bloody form of diarrhea. This might point towards a very virulent strain of E. coli, but other food borne illnesses cannot yet be ruled out.

E. coli bacteria can instigate serious food poisoning in humans. The infection can generate stomach cramps, diarrhea, dehydration and in most severe cases, kidney failure. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli infects approximately 73,000 people and kills 61 a year in the U.S.

People prone to this infection include children, seniors and persons whose immune system is weakened. Antibiotics typically are not helpful, and infections are often treated by drinking fluids and taking pain relievers.