Relatives of a four-year-old E. coli patient take legal action against the hospital that treated her for reportedly failing to diagnose her illness that led to her death as two more contracted the disease.

Serena Profitt, a four-year-old girl from Oregon complained about having fever and experiencing stomach cramps when she was rushed to the Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital.

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However, her aunt, Aleasha Hargitt claimed that medical personnel from the Lincoln City hospital had dismissed the possibility of E. coli without conducting a test to prove it and had allegedly sent her home.

After a while, the young girl was rushed to the Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland where she had a stroke and eventually died due to kidney failure identified as the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

According to Reuters, the HUS is a fatal condition that is experienced by one out of ten patients who have been exposed to an extremely dangerous strain of E. coli.

On Labor Day, Serena's friend Bradley Sutton had been diagnosed of the disease and is currently in critical condition.

Bradley, who is only five year old, is being treated at the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Washington.

According to the report, Bradley had visited with Serena's family in Oregon where both children shared the same food and beverages.

In a separate case, a three-year-old girl from Washington had also passed away because of the disease.

Investigations have been initiated to identify the source of the bacteria.

"The thing we are trying to focus on is if there is a single source that we can pinpoint and the public is at risk," Whatcom County Health Department Dr. Greg Stern told Reuters.

Majority of the strains of E. coli, which is short for Escherichia coli, are harmless with only six strains that can actually produce a disease.

All individuals are at risk of contracting the disease though studies revealed that very young children and the elderly are more prone to develop the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

TagsU.S., E. coli bacteria, Dead, critical