Tesco and Asda have filed a lawsuit over E. coli infections caused by sandwiches

Supermarkets Tesco and Asda are facing legal action after two people were hospitalized due to the E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce leaves.

One of them was an 11-year-old girl from the Northwest, while the other was a man from the Southeast.

Both became seriously ill, with the young girl possibly suffering permanent liver damage.

Legal firm Fieldfisher, acting on behalf of the individuals, said it believes their customers may have contracted E. coli from eating own-brand sandwiches from the two retailers.

Charges were filed against the supermarkets for violating the Consumer Protection Act.

Britain’s Health Security Agency said on Thursday that one patient had died in the E. coli outbreak, which investigators say is linked to salad used in sandwiches.

Fieldfisher said the claim against Asda relates to the young girl who contracted E. coli after eating a chicken and salad sandwich she bought in one of its stores.

“The 11-year-old girl developed the serious condition hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition that affects the kidneys, and has been on dialysis for three weeks,” the report said.

“She was discharged home two days ago, but may be at risk for permanent kidney damage. Her mother purchased three of the sandwiches as part of an online delivery.”

Harvinder Kaur, legal director at the company, said she had sent a separate letter to Tesco on behalf of the man who was also hospitalised with symptoms of E. coli after eating Tesco salad sandwiches.

“Fortunately, this client did not develop HUS and is now home, but he was seriously ill for a while,” she said.

‘By law, companies that produce food must ensure that it is safe to eat.

‘If it causes illness this is a breach of their duty and the injured are eligible for compensation, not least to fund possible ongoing medical care.

‘My client was a regular customer at Tesco and bought his lunch there most days as it was very close to his work.’

An Asda spokesperson said: ‘We have not yet received a letter from Fieldfisher regarding these claims. Once we do, we will review the details of the claim as a matter of urgency.”

It is understood Tesco has not yet received notice of Fieldfisher’s claim.

Several food manufacturers have recalled sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in major supermarkets and chain stores due to the spread of E. coli.

The UKHSA reports that the number of cases they are seeing is decreasing, but more will come to light as more samples are referred to them from NHS laboratories.

So far there have been 182 cases in England, 58 in Scotland, 31 in Wales and four in Northern Ireland.

It is thought that the North Island individuals contracted E. coli in England.

At least 122 people have been hospitalized for treatment since the outbreak began.

Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the FSA, said on Thursday it suspected a type of lettuce used in sandwiches was the likely cause of the outbreak.

He added: ‘While we are confident that lettuce is the source of the outbreak, we are still working to confirm this and determine the root cause of the outbreak in collaboration with growers, suppliers and manufacturers. This way we can take measures to prevent recurrence.’

E. coli is a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals.

However, there are also strains that produce toxins that can make people seriously ill, such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (Stec), the strain involved in this outbreak.

People infected with Stec can suffer from diarrhea and in about 50% of cases there is bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms include stomach cramps and fever.

In uncomplicated cases, symptoms can last up to two weeks.

Some patients, mainly children, may develop HUS, a serious, life-threatening condition leading to kidney failure.

A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition, namely thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

Stec is often transmitted by eating contaminated food, but can also be spread by close contact with an infected person, as well as by direct contact with an infected animal or where it lives.

People are advised to call NHS 111 or contact their GP if they are concerned about a baby under 12 months, if a child stops breast or bottle feeding while ill, if a child under five shows signs of dehydration (such as fewer wet diapers) and if older children or adults still show signs of dehydration after using oral rehydration sachets.

Help should also be sought if people are ill and cannot keep fluids down, if there is bloody diarrhea or bleeding from the bottom, if the diarrhea lasts for more than seven days, or if they are vomiting for more than two days.

You can read more about E. Coli, its symptoms, and some of the products that have been recalled here.

MORE: Drug users warned as one man dies in ‘contaminated batch’

MORE: Tesco has just made a big change to its £3.40 supermarket meal deal

MORE: Boy, 11, dies unexpectedly while playing at water park with friends

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.