The Bracken County, Kentucky, health department is investigating how three children became ill with E. coli infections. Two siblings and another child fell ill with E. coli nearly a month ago. Two of the children were hospitalized for several weeks with hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Nicole Logan, the mother of two of the children who were ill, tells WLWT that one, her son, Zachary, has been receiving treatment for HUS for over 3 weeks.

“Sometimes the children are not very sick and just have abnormalities in their blood tests. Other times they become very ill and require dialysis or even [have] permanent kidney failure,” said Dr. Mitchell Cohen of Children’s Hospital.

The Health Department is investigating what could have caused the three cases.

“They’re for some reason leaning toward hamburger or spaghetti sauce,” said Logan. “I just hope they can find it. I hope it’s not still out there. I don’t want more people to get sick.”