Toronto Public Health has shut down a Chinese restaurant it suspects might be at the centre of a salmonella outbreak.

One person may have died after eating at the restaurant in the city's east end, but health officials stress it is too early to make a definitive link.

There have been 18 confirmed cases of the illness, officials said, and another 18 probable cases remain under investigation.

TPH said the outbreak occurred at the Ruby Chinese restaurant, 1571 Sandhurst Crescent, near McCowan Road and Finch Avenue East in Scarborough.

There is no continuing public health risk, health officials said, adding they will release more information on Thursday afternoon.

The food poisoning is believed to have taken place between Sept. 12 and Sept. 30. Inspectors shut down the restaurant on Oct. 7.

A TPH report cites failure to protect food from contamination and failure to prevent an insect infestation as a possible cause of the outbreak.