Atlanta ( CNN ) -- Federal health officials say 14 people in six states have been sickened by the same strain of E. coli over the past couple of months . According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Lola Russell , 14 cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli 0145 infection with the same DNA fingerprint have been identified in six states . `` Their illness onsets range from April 15 to May 12 , '' she said , adding that the most recent case was reported June 4 . `` Three ill persons have been hospitalized . One death has been reported in Louisiana . '' Cases have been reported in Alabama ( 2 ) , California ( 1 ) , Florida ( 1 ) , Georgia ( 5 ) , Louisiana ( 4 ) and Tennessee ( 1 ) , according to the CDC . Louisiana health officials would confirm only that one child died and three adults were sickened in the New Orleans area . CNN affiliate WWL reported that the child was 21-month-old Maelan Elizabeth Graffagnini , who fought the infection for weeks at a local hospital . Feds speed up E. coli investigation procedures . Georgia is reporting five cases , the most in one state . `` Four of five are female , and their ages range from 18 to 52 , with a median of 34 . Illness onsets range from ( April 15-28 ) ; one case was hospitalized overnight for this illness , and no cases have died , '' said Suleima Salgado , deputy director of communications for the Georgia Department of Public Health . The cases in Georgia have been mild , according to Dr. J. Patrick O'Neal , who heads the Division of Health Protection within the Georgia Department of Public Health . He said Thursday , `` I do n't think there 's need for great concern . I think awareness , yes , concern , no . We have outbreaks of various diarrheal diseases quite frequently . '' Neither of the Alabamans was hospitalized ; both have recovered , the state 's Department of Public Health said in a news release . According to the CDC , the most common strain is E. coli O157 . The strain in this outbreak is 0145 . `` As whole , the non-O157 serogroup is less likely to cause severe illness than E. coli O157 , '' it said . `` However , some non-O157 ( Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli ) serogroups can cause the most severe manifestations of STEC illness . '' Russell said many clinical laboratories do not regularly test for this particular strain of E. coli . However , the O145 strain is one of six additional strains for which the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's Food Safety and Inspection Services has begun testing for in ground beef . The cause of the outbreak is unknown , and the investigation is ongoing on the federal and local levels . Infectious disease investigators will interview the victims to determine what exposures they have in common . The CDC says it 's looking at both food and non-food exposures as a source of the outbreak . However , Louisiana health officials say they suspect that food may be to blame , according to a statement from the state 's Department of Health and Hospitals . `` People usually get sick from STEC 2-8 days ( average of 3-4 days ) after swallowing the organism , '' Russell said in a statement . She added that most people infected with the 0145 strain develop diarrhea ( usually watery and often bloody ) and abdominal cramps . `` Most illnesses resolve on their own within seven days , but sometimes the symptoms can last longer and can be more severe . '' So investigators are dependent on people accurately remembering what they ate or came into contact with before they got sick . Food such as meat and poultry but also fruit and vegetables is often the source of E. coli infections . However , unpasteurized or raw milk , water that has not been disinfected , contact with cattle or contact with the feces of infected people are other sources of infections . Young children , pregnant women , the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems ( like cancer or HIV patients ) are at greater risk for severe illness and death . The best way to avoid getting sick is by washing hands frequently when preparing food as well as avoiding cross-contamination of food preparation areas by washing cutting boards , counters and utensils with hot , soapy water . Properly washing hands after using the bathroom and after coming into contact with animals or being in their environments -- anywhere there may be traces of feces , where the bacteria could be lurking -- also helps . Cooking meats thoroughly to at least 160Â°F or 70ËšC kills the bacteria and prevents infection as well . Using a meat thermometer will most accurately help you determine that the food is thoroughly cooked . CNN 's Joe Sutton contributed to this report .
Local media report Louisiana toddler is only fatality . The Associated Press contributed to this report. Cause is unknown , but local and federal officials are investigating .