Health officials investigating E. coli outbreak in King County

KING COUNTY, Wash. - Health officials are investigating an outbreak of E. coli cases, but the source of the foodborne illness is not yet known.

According to Public Health - Seattle & King County, seven cases have been reported in individuals from 11 months to 35 years old. Six of the cases have taken place since June 26.

All of the ill people are from East African communities, officials said. They are working to trace the source of the outbreak - the majority of the people exposed reported eating multiple types of meat, including goat and ground beef.

"Genetic fingerprinting results (whole genome sequencing) indicate that all 7 ill people have the same genetic strain meaning they likely have a common source of infection," officials wrote in a news release.

All seven people had similar symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal cramping, nausea and vomiting.

The outbreak does not appear to be related to a multistate outbreak impacting at least four states.