Health officials are warning the public about an E. coli outbreak in Winnipeg, stemming mostly from the Russian pavilion at the city's annual Folklorama festival.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said there have been 15 suspected cases and one confirmed case of E. coli since the beginning of August.

The organization said the majority of cases are associated with food eaten at the cultural festival's Russian pavilion.

Folklorama is over but health officials said there is a risk of secondary spread.

Once someone has eaten contaminated food, the infection can be passed person-to-person, by hand-to-mouth contact. The bacteria are most often spread from person to person.

The public is reminded to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before handling food.

The outbreak will be monitored for the next couple of weeks to determine if there are any more cases.

E. coli, short for Escherichia coli, is a type of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of animals and humans. There are hundreds of strains of the bacterium, but E. coli O157:H7 has been identified as the most dangerous to people, producing a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness.