At least 21 people in 16 states have been sickened by tenderized steaks from the beef recall we wrote about recently, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, nine have been hospitalized and there is one reported case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

On Christmas Eve, National Steak and Poultry of Owasso, Oklahoma announced a recall of 248,000 pounds of beef due to potential E. coli 0157:H7 contamination. The meat, much of it steak, was sold to restaurants nationwide.

The Nation's Restaurant News reports that restaurants from at least five chains were among those that received the affected meat including the Olive Garden, Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Carino’s Italian and KRM Inc., which operates 15 locations of the 54th Street Grill & Bar.

The number of sick persons who were identified to the CDC are from the following states: California (1), Colorado (1), Florida (1), Hawaii (1), Iowa (1), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), Nevada (1), Ohio (2), Oklahoma (1), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (1), Utah (2), and Washington (1). Most patients became ill between mid-October and late November.

E. coli O157:H7 is a dangerous strain and some people, especially children under 5 and the elderly, can become very sick from it. The infection can damage red blood cells and kidneys. Bloody diarrhea and stomach pain are the most common signs of E. coli O157:H7 sickness. People usually do not get a fever, or may have only a slight fever.