The North Central District Health Department has reported seven E. coli O157:H7 cases in Windham – Willimantic, Connecticut.  The Department of Public Health said it is investigating and believes all of the people were infected between mid-December and Christmas time.

All of them required the patients to be hospitalized, according to the department.

Health officials said five of them were mild cases, but two were a severe form of the bacterial infection known as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, or HUS.  They said the people with the mild cases have already been released, but one of the two with HUS remains in the hospital.

The source of the E. coli O157:H7 has not been found.