A total of 129 people in seven prefectures have been infected with E. coli bacteria believed to have come from Takizawa Ham Co. meat products, Chiba Prefectural Government health officials said Saturday.
The number infected with the O-157 strain of the bacteria will probably increase as more people undergo checkups following calls by local authorities, the officials said.
In late March, the company stopped selling the products made at its factory in the city of Tochigi in Tochigi Prefecture after it was discovered they caused food-poisoning in a number of people.
While the largest number of victims are in Chiba Prefecture, illnesses have also been reported in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Ibaraki and Yamagata prefectures.