There now appears to be 13 cases of E.coli O157 linked to the Careshare Nursery at Lauder College in Dunfermline.

Four children are being treated for kidney failure at Glasgow's Yorkhill Hospital, while another child showing what could be early signs of E.coli O157 infection is being cared for at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. The other 8 suspected cases were all being allowed to remain at home under observation.

Health officials said the source of the outbreak had still not been traced, but added that it appeared likely that contact with an infected person was the reason - rather than contaminated food or water at the Careshare nursery at Lauder College in Dunfermline. The families of the children involved have asked for no further information to be released and for their privacy to be respected "at this difficult, stressful time".

Jonathan Bell, the operations director at Careshare, said they were informed of the suspected E. coli infection in one child who attended the nursery last Friiday, 5th May 2006. The nursery was shut voluntarily by Careshare on Tuesday, 9th May when news emerged of the suspected bacteria in 3 toddlers.