SALINAS -- Lettuce that was grown in California has been linked to an outbreak of e.coli infections in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health said that 36 people got the same strain of e.coli last month. Of that number, nine were students at Michigan State University, five others were at a county jail.

Health officials said the common link was iceberg lettuce supplied by Aunt Mid's Produce of Detroit and grown in California. Jennifer Holton of the Michigan Department of Agriculture said, "We have been able to narrow it down to California lettuce and that's based on delivery dates, ship dates and the illness onset dates."

However, Michigan agriculture officials said they don't know how or where the lettuce was contaminated.

The Monterey County Farm Bureau said the information is incomplete and speculative. Bob Perkins said it is worrisome. "It seems premature to make that connection. There's no information available to the public that shows there really has been a solid connection, even with the providers of the lettuce."

Perkins said the reports could hurt sales. He added that while the food safety system will never be perfect, it has been effective since the outbreak of e.coli in spinach two years ago. "I think the industry has reduced the likelihood of food borne illness and we're constantly looking for ways to improve that system," said Perkins.

The California Department of Public Health and the Food and Drug Administration are now working with Michigan to complete the investigation to figure out if the lettuce is really to blame, and if so, how it was contaminated.

California officials stressed that no one in this state has gotten sick and there should be more concrete information next week.