BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria have been recalled after 21 people in eights states ate hamburgers and became ill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell said three cases — two in New York and one in Florida — are confirmed as being connected to the ground beef, with the other 18 cases possibly linked and under investigation. No one has died, but Russell said she had no additional information on the cases.

Elizabeth, N.J.-based Topps Meat Company on Tuesday announced a recall of boxes of frozen hamburgers it distributed. The recall affects 331,582 pounds of frozen beef patties and 21 products that were distributed nationwide, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Topps said.

Russell and USDA spokeswoman Amanda Eamich said the illnesses were reported in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Topps spokeswoman Cortney McMahon said officials continue working to find the cause of the contamination. The company, the leading U.S. manufacturer of frozen hamburgers, said this was its first recall in its 65-year history.

"That investigation is still ongoing," McMahon said. "Topps is going to fully cooperate with the USDA."

Contaminated burgers were found in one New York victim's home freezer by health officials.

The recalled products include certain 10-pound boxes of Butcher's Best 100% All Beef Patties; certain 10-pound boxes of Kohler Foods burgers; certain 10-pound boxes of Sand Castle Fine Meat; some 2-pound boxes of Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers; and some 3-pound boxes of Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers.