Almost half of all people in Wales who contracted E.coli during a UK outbreak linked to supermarket sandwiches were so seriously ill that they needed hospital treatment. Public Health Wales said there were 29 cases in Wales as part of the recent outbreak, a 50% increase from 18 in the last update.
Of the 29 cases of people diagnosed with a dangerous bacterial infection, 45% required hospital treatment. In the UK, around 38% of cases saw people hospitalised.
The recent outbreak is believed to be linked to prepackaged sandwich products containing lettuce. As a result, thousands of supermarket sandwiches and wraps have been recalled from stores such as Asda, the Co-op, Tesco and Sainsbury’s as a precaution. A list of downloaded items can be found here.
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The UK Health Safety Agency, which provided the data, said that although the number of cases had now slowed, they expected the number to rise as NHS laboratories send samples to the UKHSA for genomic sequencing that can link cases to the outbreak strain. All currently confirmed cases had symptom onset dates prior to May 31.
As of 20 June, there are 29 cases in Wales, 168 in England, 56 in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland (however, evidence suggests they were contracted in England). For the latest health and Covid news, subscribe to our newsletter here
E.coli can cause severe bloody diarrhea. It is often transmitted by eating contaminated food, but it can also be spread by close contact with an infected person as well as direct contact with an infected animal or its environment.
The UKHSA advises that people who are unwell do not prepare food for others when they are unwell and avoid visiting people in hospital or care homes to avoid spreading the infection in these settings. People should not return to work, school or daycare until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
Wendi Shepherd, health consultant for Public Health Wales, said: “STEC is a nasty infection and can cause serious health problems for people – it can be particularly difficult for young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
“Public Health Wales is working with our partners in Great Britain and Wales to identify the source of this incident. We have provided clinical management consulting to healthcare providers across the country.
“I would advise anyone with bloody diarrhea or severe stomach cramps to seek medical attention. If you are affected, you should wash your hands carefully with soap and warm water and clean surfaces thoroughly to prevent transmission of infection.
“You should also avoid seeing or preparing food for other people if you are experiencing diarrhea and vomiting, especially people in hospitals or care homes. Do not return to work, school, daycare or similar facilities until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped.’
Based on the evidence to date, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have issued precautionary product recall notices for a number of products that are potentially contaminated with E. coli. The FSA, FSS and devolved public health authorities are working together to carry out epidemiological investigations, whole genome sequence analysis and food chain investigations are still ongoing to confirm the cause of this outbreak.
Commenting on the product recall, Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the FSA, said: “Several sandwich manufacturers have now taken precautionary measures to recall and recall a variety of sandwiches, wraps, pads and rolls, as the food chain and epidemiological links have allowed us to narrow down the wide range of foods consumed down to a small the number of lettuce leaves used in these products.
“This follows an extensive investigation into the cause of the ongoing shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) outbreak being carried out by the FSA, FSS and UKHSA in close collaboration with relevant law enforcement agencies across local authorities.” a complete list of products affected by product recalls can be found in Product Recall Notices (PRINs).
“This remains a complex investigation and we continue to work closely with the relevant businesses and local authorities to ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect consumers.
“While we are confident that the source of the outbreak is related to a small number of lettuce leaves, which we identified early on through extensive food chain analysis, work continues to identify the root cause of the outbreak with growers, suppliers and manufacturers. that steps can be taken to prevent recurrence. We will remain vigilant until the root cause of the outbreak is confirmed and will keep an open mind about possible causes of the outbreak to ensure we minimize any further risk to consumers.”