A significant increase in E. coli cases in Michigan prompted health officials to issue an advisory about food safety and the importance hand-washing. So far this month, 98 cases of E. coli were reported in Oakland, Ottawa, and Kent counties, compared to 20 during the same time period last year, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDDHS). “While reports of E. coli illness typically increase during the warmer summer months, this significant jump in cases is alarming,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive, said in a statement.