One person has died and more than 120 others, including children as young as six, have been hospitalized in Britain amid a E.coli outbreak linked to lettuce.
Two people in England died within 28 days of being infected with Shiga toxin-producing bacteria. E. coli (Stec), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in a briefing on Thursday.
“Based on the information available from healthcare practitioners, one of these deaths is likely related to their deaths Cutting infection,” the agency said. “Both individuals had underlying medical conditions. The deaths occurred in May.”
On June 25, there were another 19 cases of Stecbringing the total number of confirmed cases in Britain to 275, according to the briefing on the UKHSA website.
There are 182 cases in England, 58 in Scotland, 31 in Wales and four in Northern Ireland. All of those affected had symptoms before June 4.
Several food manufacturers have recalled sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in major supermarkets and chain stores over fears they are linked to the outbreak. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has previously said that lettuce used in the products is suspected to be the cause of the outbreak.
Based on data from 249 cases, 49% of those affected were admitted to hospital, the UKHSA said. It means at least 122 people have been admitted to hospital for treatment since the outbreak began. The Guardian understands that children as young as six and adults aged 85 and over were among those admitted to hospital.
Among the victims is an 11-year-old girl from the Pacific Northwest who became seriously ill and was hospitalized after eating a store-brand chicken salad sandwich from the grocery store.
She was on dialysis for nearly three weeks after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a clinical syndrome associated with Cutting which can lead to kidney failure and death.
“Thankfully she is now stable enough to return home, but HUS is a very serious condition that can cause permanent damage to the kidneys and affect people throughout their lives,” said Claire Glasgow of law firm Fieldfisher, which is helping the family. the girl represents.
E.coli is a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals. However, some species produce toxins that can make people very sick Cutting.
People infected with Stec can have diarrhea, and about 50% of cases have bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms include stomach cramps and fever. Symptoms can last up to two weeks in uncomplicated cases.
Some patients, mainly children, may develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious life-threatening condition resulting in kidney failure. A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
Cutting is often transmitted by eating contaminated food, but can also be spread through close contact with an infected person, as well as through direct contact with an infected animal or the place where it lives.
UKHSA incident director Amy Douglas said she expected more cases linked to the outbreak to emerge as further samples were referred to the agency for testing.
Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the FSA, said: “Earlier this month we confirmed that several sandwich manufacturers had taken precautionary measures to recall and reinstate a range of sandwiches, wraps, subs and rolls after food chain and epidemiological links allowed us to narrow down the links across a wide range of foods to a type of lettuce used in sandwich products as the likely cause of the outbreak.
“This remains a complex investigation and we continue to work with the relevant companies and local authorities to ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect consumers.
“While we are confident that the source of the outbreak is likely related to lettuce, work continues to confirm this and identify the root cause of the outbreak with growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that measures can be taken to prevent recurrence.”
Dr. Aidan Taylor, a lecturer in microbiology at the University of Reading, said the outbreak was “a serious public health problem”.
He said: “This outbreak highlights the importance of robust food safety measures throughout the supply chain and emphasises the need for continued vigilance in both industry practices and consumer awareness.”