A food poisoning report with good news: Fewer E. coli cases

Health officials say fewer Americans are getting sick from a nasty germ sometimes found in undercooked hamburgers.

The government's latest report card on food poisoning shows illnesses from a dangerous form of E. coli bacteria have fallen 20 percent in the last few years.

That E. coli strain got attention in the early 1990s when it was the culprit in a deadly outbreak linked to hamburger meat. Leafy vegetables have also been tied to illnesses. A 2006 outbreak of E. coli was traced to fresh spinach.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the report Thursday. It counts food poisoning cases in only 10 states, but the report is believed to be a good indicator of national trends.

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