The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals says it is working with federal officials to determine where the E.coli came from that killed a baby girl and sickened at least two other people in the New Orleans area. 

Authorities say it appears to be part of a cluster of cases reported in the South in May.  The dead New Orleans area child was reportedly 21 months old.

Officials at the Audubon Zoo say rumors that the deadly E.coli was linked to the petting zoo are unfounded.

The Zoo issued a news release quoting Dr. Gary Balsamo, State Public Health Veterinarian and Assistant State Epidemiologist in the Office of Public Health, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.

It it Balsamo says, "Three cases of toxigenic E.coli were reported to DHH in May 2012 in the Greater New Orleans area. These cases all have the same 'DNA fingerprints'. They are part of a CDC cluster of cases coming from several southern states. The CDC investigation has not yet identified the common source. Rumors that the strain are coming from petting zoos appear to be unfounded."

Zoo officials are sounding off too.

"The safety of our millions of annual guests at Audubon attractions is always of utmost concern to us," said Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman." Audubon will continue to follow strict and proper protocol to ensure the well being of our visitors."