Tesco and Asda sued over E. coli infections caused by sandwiches

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

One of them was an 11-year-old girl from the North West, while the other was a man from the South East.

Both became seriously ill, while the young girl may have been left with permanent liver damage.

Law firm Fieldfisher, which is acting on behalf of the individuals, said it believed their clients contracted E. coli by eating own-brand sandwiches from the two retailers.

It said it had filed lawsuits against the supermarkets for breaching the Consumer Protection Act.

The U.K.’s Health Safety Agency said Thursday that one patient has died in an E. coli outbreak that investigators believe is linked to lettuce used in sandwiches.

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

“The 11-year-old girl developed a serious condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which attacks the kidneys, and was on dialysis for three weeks,” it said.

“She was discharged home two days ago but could be at risk of permanent kidney damage. Her mother bought three sandwiches as part of an online delivery.’

Harvinder Kaur, the firm’s legal director, said she had sent a separate letter to Tesco on behalf of a man who was also hospitalized with E. coli symptoms after eating Tesco sandwiches containing lettuce.

“Fortunately, this client did not go on to develop HUS and is now at home, but he has been seriously ill for some time,” she said.

“By law, food companies must ensure that they are safe to eat.

“If they cause illness, this is a breach of their duty and the injured are entitled to compensation, not least to finance any ongoing medical care.

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

An Asda spokesman said: “We have not yet received any letter from Fieldfisher regarding these claims, once we do we will urgently review the details of the claim.

It is understood that Tesco has not yet received notification of the claim from Fieldfisher.

Several food manufacturers have recalled sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in major supermarkets and retail chains due to E. coli outbreaks.

The UKHSA said the number of cases it is recording is falling, but more will come to light as more samples are sent to it from NHS laboratories.

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

Individuals from the North Island are believed to have contracted E. coli in England.

At least 122 people have been admitted to hospital for treatment since the start of the epidemic.

Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the FSA, said on Thursday that he believed a type of lettuce used in sandwich products was the likely cause of the outbreak.

He added: “While we are confident that the likely source of the outbreak is linked to lettuce, work is ongoing to confirm this and to identify the root cause of the outbreak with growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that steps can be taken to prevent a re-occurrence.’

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 cause serious illness in humans, such as shiga toxin-producing E. coli (Stec), which is the strain involved in this outbreak.

People infected with Stec can suffer from diarrhoea, and about 50% of cases have bloody diarrhoea. Other symptoms include stomach cramps and fever.

Symptoms can last up to two weeks in uncomplicated cases.

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

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

Streptococcus 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.

People are advised to call NHS 111 or contact their GP if they are concerned about a child under 12 months, a child stops breastfeeding or bottle-feeding when they are ill, a child under five has signs of dehydration such as less wet diapers, and if older children or adults still have signs of dehydration after using oral rehydration pouches.

Help should also be sought if people are ill and unable to keep fluids down, have bloody or bloody diarrhoea, have diarrhea for more than seven days, or vomit for more than two days.

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

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