Suspected E. coli outbreak spreads

Of the 27 suspected cases, nine have been confirmed and at least 24 have been linked to the North Carolina State Fair, although investigators haven't determined whether the cases are linked to food vendors, animal exhibits or the petting zoo.

Officials are questioning both those who became sick and a random sample of those who attended the fair and did not become ill.

Of the suspected cases, 12 are in Wake County, seven in Sampson County, two each in Orange and Wilson counties, and one each in Cleveland, Durham, Johnston and Lenoir counties, according to numbers that the state released Tuesday.

They do not specify which counties have the confirmed cases.