Vials of E. coli bacteria found in the refrigerator of a Jonesboro apartment have been safely removed, authorities said.

A maintenance man cleaning out the unit at the Willow Creek Apartments on Friday found 25 vials marked "E. coli" in a foam box in a refrigerator, officials said. The maintenance man notified the facilities manager, who then called Arkansas Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An Arkansas National Guard hazardous material crew spent most of Friday afternoon and night securing the bacteria and removing it from the apartment, Fire Battalion Chief Marty Hamrick told the Jonesboro Sun for a story in Sunday's editions. The vials were of medical-grade quality but there wasn't enough danger for officials to evacuate the complex, Hamrick said.

As a precaution, however, firefighters washed their boots and equipment, he said.

E. coli are a group of bacteria that can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia. The illness is typically spread through consumption of contaminated food, unpasteurized milk, contaminated water or contact with the feces of infected people.

A call to the apartment complex seeking comment from officials wasn't immediately returned Sunday. http://news.mobile.msn.com/en-us/art...6363286&afid=1