Food safety watchdogs have issued a massive recall of around 30 different types of sandwiches, wraps and salads from supermarkets amid E.coli fears.
A ‘do not eat’ warning has been placed on products made by Greencore and on effect foods sold on the shelves of Asda, Amazon, Boots, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Aldi.
This can amount to many thousands of food products – or more.
The fear centers around Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), a strain that can cause severe and even bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain, with cases potentially fatal in some cases.
None of the products have been confirmed to contain STEC, but the products have been withdrawn as a precaution.
It comes a week after regulators in Britain launched a search for a mystery food product behind a string of cases across the country.
British health officials have now said that 211 people are known to have been infected with the bacteria, up from 113 last week.
At least 67 people have become so ill that they have to be hospitalized.
Here, MailOnline reveals the early warning signs of the violent infection, how long they last, what foods you can catch the disease from and what to do if you’re infected.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it believes cases are linked to a ‘nationally distributed food product’ or ‘multiple food products’
What are the symptoms of an E.coli infection?
The outbreak is caused by the Shiga toxin-producing E coli 0145 (STEC).
Symptoms of infection range from mild to bloody diarrhoea, UKHSA says, with around half of infected people experiencing the latter.
Vomiting, fever and stomach cramps are other telltale signs of an infection.
However, these symptoms can be caused by a variety of bugs, including norovirus.
In severe cases, the bug can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure, which mainly affects children.
A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a rare, life-threatening blood disorder.
Health officials have urged parents to call NHS 111 if they or their children have bloody diarrhea.
Children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk of developing serious illness.
How long does the infection last and what should I do?
Most people sick with the bug will get better within a week without NHS care, although symptoms can last for up to a fortnight.
Infected persons are advised to drink plenty of fluids, as symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration.
Health officials say taking antibiotics and anti-diarrheal medications is generally not recommended for STEC.
This is due to the potential to increase the risk of complications such as HUS, as the influence of medications on the bacteria can cause a build-up of toxins.
Anyone experiencing STEC symptoms is recommended to stay home from work or school until 48 hours after you stop vomiting or having diarrhea to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others.
People who serve unpackaged food, work in health care, or attend kindergarten or daycare are especially at risk of spreading the infection to others.
According to government guidelines, these people should be screened for STEC before returning to work or school.
Officials have not yet traced the source of the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), a rare variant of the diarrhea-causing insect. But they believe it is related to a ‘nationally distributed food product’ or ‘multiple food products’
What foods can you get it from?
STEC is mainly spread by eating contaminated food, such as improperly washed or prepared raw vegetables, cheese, and undercooked ground beef.
Such foods are at risk of STEC contamination because the bacteria can easily jump from contaminated work surfaces or from infected people preparing food who have not washed their hands properly.
For that reason, it is important to prepare ground meat, such as hamburgers, properly and to wash all salads and vegetables thoroughly to remove any traces of animal faces before consuming them.
People are also advised to ensure their refrigerator is below 4 degrees Celsius as this can slow the growth of bacteria.
In a recent previous outbreak of E.coli, patients reported eating grated hard cheese before becoming ill.
This can happen if the milk becomes contaminated with feces and survives or grows during the cheese-making process.
Unpasteurized cheeses, where the milk used to make the dairy product is not heated to a bactericidal temperature, are at greater risk of contamination.
STEC can also be spread by directly touching infected animals or their feces, but also by coming into direct contact with people who are sick, for example when caring for them.
It can also be spread through contaminated water, either by drinking contaminated supplies or accidentally ingesting it while swimming.
This risk can be reduced by boiling drinking water that is suspected of being unsafe, and not swimming in water that may be contaminated by cattle and sheep in nearby fields.