TRENTON, N.J. -- Two people were suffering from "life-threatening" E. coli cases yesterday as the number of confirmed infections in central New Jersey jumped to 19, health officials said. David Papi, Middlesex County's health director, was cited as saying that E. coli has sickened residents of eight towns in Middlesex, Somerset and Monmouth counties since the first illness was reported Nov. 17,. The stories note that officials have not pinpointed the cause of the New Jersey outbreak, but 11 of the victims ate at the same Taco Bell on Stelton Road in South Plainfield, Papi said. = Two others ate at Taco Bell restaurants in Edison and Franklin Township, in Somerset County. The South Plainfield Taco Bell has voluntarily remained closed since Nov. 30, even though a health inspection found no major health violations, Papi said. Stool test results from 21 employees are expected today, and another three or four samples will be taken, Papi said. A few employees are thought to be traveling. Rob Poetsch, a spokesman for Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell Corp., was quoted as saying, "We have taken every precaution, including temporarily closing the restaurant until the investigation is completed, as nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our customers and employees." Seven of the victims were in area hospitals Sunday night. Two had developed a serious condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome that can permanently damage the kidneys. Officials were also investigating four other cases of suspected E. coli infection.