In what appears to be an outbreak of E. coli O157, a child and several others are understood to have suffered from severe vomiting and diarrhea in and around Inch, Ireland.

But in a move that only fuels rumor mongering, the Health and Safety Executive has confirmed there has been an outbreak of E. coli, but won’t say how many people are affected because of patient confidentiality. The source of the illness has not been traced.

It says the Department of Public Health is investigating the outbreak, but all tests taken so far have ruled out the public water supply as the cause.

A spokeswoman for HSE West who apparently has never heard of the traumatic outcomes from E. coli O157 infection said, “In the majority of cases, this is a self-limiting illness, the patients get better by themselves.”