One person died and more than 120 others, including children as young as six, were hospitalized in the UK E-coli outbreak associated with lettuce.
Two people in England died within 28 days of infection with shiga toxin-producing E-coli (SteThe UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) said in a briefing on Thursday.
“Based on information available from health care practitioners, one of these deaths is likely linked to theirs Ste infection,” the agency said. “Both individuals had underlying medical conditions. The deaths occurred in May.”
As of June 25, another 19 cases were recorded Stebringing the total number of confirmed cases in the UK to 275, according to a briefing on the UKHSA website.
There have been 182 cases in England, 58 in Scotland, 31 in Wales and four in Northern Ireland. All those affected had symptoms before June 4.
Several food manufacturers have recalled sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in major supermarkets and retail chains over fears they are linked to the outbreak. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) previously said lettuce used in the produce was considered the likely source of the outbreak.
Based on data from 249 cases, 49% of those affected were hospitalised, the UKHSA said. This means that at least 122 people have been admitted to hospital for treatment since the start of the epidemic. The Guardian understands that those hospitalized included children as young as six and adults as young as 85.
Among the victims is an 11-year-old girl from the North West who became seriously ill and was hospitalized after eating an own-brand chicken salad sandwich at a supermarket.
She had been on dialysis for nearly three weeks after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a clinical syndrome associated with Ste which can lead to kidney failure and death.
“Luckily she is now stable enough to go home, but HUS is a very serious condition that can cause permanent kidney damage that can affect people for life,” said Claire Glasgow of law firm Fieldfisher, who is representing the girl. family.
E-coli is a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals. However, some strains produce toxins that can make people very ill, such as Ste.
People infected Ste may 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, especially children, may develop haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a serious life-threatening condition leading to kidney failure. A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
Ste 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 where it lives.
UKHSA incident director Amy Douglas said she expected to see more cases linked to the outbreak as more 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 recall a variety of sandwiches, wraps, pads and rolls after food chain and epidemiological links allowed us to narrow down a wide range of foods to the 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 businesses and local authorities to ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect consumers.
“While we are confident that the likely source of the outbreak is related to lettuce, we are continuing to work to confirm this and identify the root cause of the outbreak with growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that steps can be taken to prevent a recurrence.”
Dr Aidan Taylor, a lecturer in microbiology at the University of Reading, said the outbreak was a “serious public health concern”.
He said: “This outbreak highlights the importance of robust food safety measures throughout the supply chain and highlights the need for continued vigilance in both industry practices and consumer awareness.”