Food safety officials are searching for a mysterious food product that caused an outbreak of E.coli that killed 113 people and left at least 37 hospitalized.
Experts say the rare Shiga toxigenic (STEC) variant of the diarrhea-causing bug is ‘particularly nasty’ and issued a warning to handle and cook food hygienically.
The source has not yet been discovered, but there are fears that the approaching barbecue season, when many items are undercooked, could cause an even bigger outbreak.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it believes cases are linked to a ‘nationally distributed food product’ or ‘multiple food products’ and says they are investigating the cause.
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’
According to the UK Health Security Agency, symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli include severe diarrhea and vomiting
Two-thirds of people known to be infected with the bacteria have become so seriously ill that they required hospital care.
Victims include children as young as two years old, although the majority are young adults. That’s what the British health and food watchdogs say.
UKHSA said a total of 113 cases were recorded between May 25 and June 4.
Of these, 81 were in England, 18 in Wales and 13 in Scotland.
Only one case has been recorded in Northern Ireland, although officials say this person is likely to have contracted the bug in England.
Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of cases in England have become so ill that they have needed to be admitted to hospital.
STEC is mainly spread by eating contaminated food, such as raw vegetables that have not been properly washed or stored, or through undercooked meat.
It can also be spread by touching infected animals or their feces, directly or through contaminated water, and by coming into contact with other people who are sick and then touching their faces and mouths without properly washing their hands.
But UKHSA said current evidence points to a food-based origin of the current outbreak.
“The source of this outbreak has not yet been confirmed, but there is currently no evidence linking the outbreak to open farms, drinking water or swimming in polluted seas, lakes or rivers,” the report said.
However, the agency expects the number of cases to continue to rise as further testing takes place.
Professor Nicola Holden, bacteriologist and member of Applied Microbiology International’s Food Security Advisory Group, said: ‘STEC has been with us since the 1980s.
‘It is a continuously developing bacterium that as a group has a high degree of genetic diversity.
“Sometimes that makes it difficult to detect pathogens through surveillance efforts that have the potential to cause disease, because their genetics don’t always follow a predictable pattern that definitively identifies them as such.”
STEC is considered extremely contagious; only a few bacteria need to be ingested for someone to become ill.
Symptoms of infection include vomiting, fever, stomach cramps and diarrhea, which can last up to two weeks.
But in up to 15 percent of cases, the bug can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure.
Children under the age of five are at the greatest risk of HUS.
However, it can also affect other vulnerable groups, including the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
Trish Mannes, incident director at UKHSA, urged Britons to take steps to avoid contracting the infection or potentially passing it on to others.
“Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using disinfectants to clean surfaces can help prevent the spread of infection,” she said.
‘If you are feeling unwell with diarrhea and vomiting, you should not prepare food for others while you are unwell and you should avoid visiting people in hospitals or care homes to avoid passing on the infection in these settings.
‘Do not return to work, school or daycare until 48 hours after your symptoms have disappeared.’
The UK’s food safety watchdog, the Food Standards Agency, is also helping UKHSA to ‘identify the source of the disease’.
People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show symptoms of an E.coli infection.
For children under five, this may include disinterest in breastfeeding or bottle feeding and signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet diapers.
Both adults and children are advised to call NHS 111 or their GP if they continue to vomit for two days or have diarrhea for a week.
Anyone experiencing bloody diarrhea or bleeding from the bottom should call NHS 111 or their GP immediately.