As of noon Tuesday, twelve cases of E. Coli had been reported in central Ohio.
Five of those are in Columbus, four in Fairfield county, one in Delaware county, and two in Franklin county. At least four of the cases have been linked by DNA testing.
Jesse Carter is with the Delaware General Health District. He says that link might help provide a clue as to where the infection came from.
"What it means is that the E. Coli bacteria that several people had that it's the same E. Coli," Carter said. "That doesn't necessarily mean they got it from the same place, but it is possible."
"We don't know if we will be able to track down where it's coming from. We're doing our best- interviewing all the people that have the infections, trying to track backwards what they have eaten for several days. We're also trying to figure out what the causes were so we can prevent other people from getting it."
Carter says in many cases, E. Coli is preventable and advises people to frequently wash their hands, and be sure not to eat undercooked meat.
Another important tip for summertime? Make sure kids don't swallow water in lakes or swimming pools.