Major E.coli outbreak sparks urgent UK health warning as dozens hospitalised

AN urgent health warning has been issued after an E.coli outbreak has seen dozens hospitalised.

More than 100 people across the UK are sick, the UK Health and Security Agency says.

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They believe the source to be a “nationally distributed food item” or “multiple food items”, but did not give any additional information.

E. coli can be spread by eating contaminated foods.

All the cases recorded in the outbreak involve Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O145 (Stec), with 81 cases in England, 18 in Wales, 13 in Scotland and one person in Northern Ireland who believes they acquired Stec in England.

UKHSA said the 113 cases appeared to be linked. Around 37 people had been raced to hospital.

Most people recover within two weeks but there’s a risk of more serious consequences – particularly for young children and older adults.

Some people can develop a life-threatening form of kidney failure,

E. coli bacteria are generally harmless and live in the guts of humans and animals.

But some strains, such as Stec, produce toxins that make people sick.

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

E. coli can also be spread by contact with an infected person, or an infected animal or its environment, but UKHSA said it was unlikely this outbreak is linked with farms, drinking or swimming in contaminated water.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is working with UKHSA to identify the source of illness, “which is likely to be linked to one or more food items”, Darren Whitby, head of incidents and resilience at FSA, said.

“We always advise consumers and those looking after vulnerable people to ensure good hygiene practices are followed when handling and preparing food,” he added.

“[This means] regularly washing hands with soap and warm water and ensuring equipment, utensils and surfaces foods come into contact with are cleaned thoroughly to prevent cross contamination.

“You should not prepare food for others if you have had symptoms, or for 48 hours after symptoms stop.”

Trish Mannes, incident director at UKHSA, said: “If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, you can take steps to avoid passing it on to family and friends.

“NHS.uk has information on what to do if you have symptoms and when to seek medical advice.

“Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using disinfectants to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading.

“If you are unwell with diarrhoea and vomiting, you should not prepare food for others while unwell and avoid visiting people in hospitals or care homes to avoid passing on the infection in these settings.

“Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped.”

It was yesterday revealed a mysterious E. coli outbreak that swept across the UK last year and left one person dead was found to have probably come from minced beef.

Officials probed the outbreak, which also left dozens “severely ill” and found the meat was the probable cause.

The spate of severe gastrointestinal illnesses was first detected by the UKHSA in June 2023.

Officials were able to determine that the outbreak was being cause by STEC O183:H18 – a rare strain of E. coli that leaves sufferers with bloody diarrhoea, as well as tummy pain, fever and vomiting.

But how Brits were being contaminated with the bacteria in the first place has remained a mystery.

At the time, officials suggested hard cheese, strawberries cucumbers, peppers and watermelon could be the source.

As the STEC strain causing the illnesses is rarely seen in the UK and patients seemed to be experiencing severe symptoms, an incident management team meeting was convened.

A report published in the journal Microbial Genomics confirmed that sufferers likely picked the illness up from eating beef burgers or minced beef.