Health officials continue an investigation after an E.coli outbreak in southwest Ohio left 75 people ill and one man dead.

A 4-year-old girl and teenage boy also remain in serious condition with complications from the bacteria.

Tony Pasquarella with the City of Steubenville Health Department sat in on a statewide conference call Wednesday, briefed on the Germantown, Ohio E.coli outbreak.

"They basically attempted to narrow it down to four different types of food: barbecue pork, plain pork, hot dogs and hamburgers," said Pasquarella.

Officials warn about following strict procedures when grilling.

The department says on their webpage that the key is keeping the meat at a refrigerated temperature as long as possible. Once cooked, serve the food as soon as possible, and don't cross contaminate by placing cooked food near raw food or sharing the same platter.

"The old fashioned way to cook food is by time, in lieu of temperatures. We're trying to encourage people to get a stem thermometer which is $2 or $3, $4 at most at your local department stores," said Pasquarella.

Beyond outdoor food preparation, there's a food safety standard that officials say we need to follow to eliminate the possibility of food borne illness.

The department said E.coli. is blamed for about 73,000 infections and 61 deaths each year in the United States. Most cases are attributed to undercooked ground beef that should be cooked to a temperature of one hundred sixty degrees.

Pasquarella said E.coli can be passed from person to person by unwashed hands, or already present in the meat product.

"You take the outside of the animal, and when it's ground up, it's brought to the inside of the animal and if there's contaminants on the outside, now they're on the inside of the meat," said Pasquarella.

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