ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - A federal health official says two deaths and 26 other illnesses may be linked to ground beef recalled by a New York meat company because it might have been contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

Lola Scott Russell, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, says one of the deaths involved a New York adult with several underlying health conditions. The other is a death previously reported by New Hampshire officials. She says all but three of the suspected infections are in the northeastern U.S. and 18 are in New England. The CDC is investigating all the cases.

Ashville, N.Y.-based Fairbank Farms recalled almost 546,000 pounds of ground beef distributed in September to stores in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

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