Skip Cowan with the Harvey County Health Department in Kansas says, “Unfortunately, now we have one new case and we currently have two children that are currently in the hospital.”  Of the two children in the hospital, one got sick just last week and one has been on dialysis for almost a month now.

Health Department investigators say it’s been frustrating trying to figure out how this particular strain of E. coli reached its young victims.

“Not totally sure what did cause it,” said Cowan. “We do not think it was food related at this time.”

Investigators have spent weeks trying to figure out how the children got infected with a potentially deadly strain of E. coli that attacks the kidneys, causing something called hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS.

They do know all the children infected attended the same church in Newton.

“Now it is ironic they all do go to the church, but as of right now we don’t have any reason to think it has anything to do with the church,” said Cowan.

The church is doing everything it can to prevent any more spread of the bacteria, sterilizing all equipment in the children’s areas, cancelling its Bible School this week, and beginning its summer break from Sunday School classes early. Meanwhile, they’re asking for prayers for the children in the hospital.