The guessing game is over.

People can stop speculating whether E. coli was the culprit of a severe diarrheal outbreak in Northeastern Oklahoma.

The state health department confirmed E. coli bacteria was found in 10 patient specimins tested as part on an ongoing investigation. Thursday, the health department stated the E. coli outbreak is linked to Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove.

“E. coli is a common bacteria that lives in the intestines of animals and people. Many strains are harmless. However, our laboratory results indicate that we are dealing with an unusual type of E. coli that produces two different types of toxins. These toxins are responsible for the very severe disease that we are seeing in many persons sickened by this outbreak,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley.

“Now that we have confirmed that this is an E. coli outbreak, this information will help guide physicians in patient care and treatment,” she said. Antibiotics and anti-diarrheal medicines are not recommended for treating E. coli. State health officials will send their laboratory specimens to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further analysis.

Bradley said this type of E. coli outbreak provides the potential for persons with diarrheal illness to spread it to family household members or close contacts. “Only a few bacteria can make a person sick and these bacteria can be easily transmitted person-to-person if infected persons do not wash their hands after using the toilet or changing diapers,” she said.

To date, at least 41 persons have been hospitalized and one person, Chad Ingle, died. An 83-year-old man who may have eaten frequently at Country Cottage died and was taken to the medical examiner’s office Wednesday. The M.E.’s office will determine if the death was related to the outbreak in any way.

The incubation period from time of exposure to this type of bacteria to becoming ill can be as short as two days or as long as 10 days.

Bradley emphasized the importance of washing hands before, during and after meal preparation. “Persons with diarrhea should not prepare meals,” she said.

“While we cannot predict at this point how long this outbreak will continue, we believe we have prevented the spread of any further cases,” Bradley said.  

Country Cottage spokeswoman Amanda Clinton said the restaurant’s owners are distraut and it’s not clear if the business will open again.

For more information on E. coli, check out these Web pages: http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli and http://www.health.ok.gov.