WATE Channel 6 Knoxville Reports:

3 cases of children’s E. coli infections under investigation in Knoxville

Three cases of E. coli infections in children are under investigation in the Knoxville area, according to the Knox County Department of Health. At least two of the children are still being treated at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. And two of the children are from the same family.

Health officials are interviewing the children and their families, trying to retrace how they may have come into contact with the bacteria. Investigators are also checking stores to determine whether recalled foods have been removed from their shelves. A report in the Knoxville News Sentinel says the family of the related children believes they were infected by eating Cargill-brand hamburger patties. However, the health department has not confirmed this as the cause. Officials also haven’t confirmed that the causes of the infections are connected. State health investigators will run DNA from the infected children through a databank containing DNA from infected food products to see if they match. The results should be available early next week.