80 reasons to eat at home

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. says there have now been 80 confirmed cases of E. coli infections across five states.

Most of the victims live in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware, but one has cropped up in South Carolina.

As many as 50 have been hospitalized.

Health officials in Iowa say over the weekend, 35 became ill and 14 people were hospitalized with suspected E. coli infection after eating at a Taco John's fast-food restaurant.

The local health department says Taco John's is based in Cheyenne, Wyoming and has no connection to Taco Bell, which has been linked to the outbreak of the virulent strain of E. coli occurring in the Northeast.

The Black Hawk County Health Department says the restaurant has removed any suspected ingredients from it's menu and sanitized the facility, and the company is reviewing its cooking and food storage procedures, and examining cleaning reports and employee health records.

The New York Health Department has confirmed that all the city's cases were caused by the same strain of E. coli. found in the first confirmed case which was traced back to scallions used at a Yum Brand Taco Bell outlet.

The company has since changed produce suppliers.

E. coli, or Escherichia coli, is a common and usually harmless bacteria, but certain strains can cause abdominal cramps, fever, bloody diarrhea, kidney failure, blindness, paralysis, even death.

The Yum Brand Taco Bell chain has 5,800 restaurants across the country and says its outlets are now all safe as all have tested negative for E. coli apart from the green onions, which were removed.

Taco Bell has also switched produce suppliers in the region, although there is no confirmation they were associated with the illness.