E. COLI UPDATE ISSUED WITH MORE NEW CASES CONFIRMED AND HALF IN HOSPITAL

At least 128 people have been hospitalised following a nationwide E. coli outbreak - but health officials report that the number of cases is decreasing.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed 288 cases across the UK, including 13 new ones. However, they emphasise that the incidence rate "continue to decline". Out of 263 cases analysed so far, nearly half resulted in hospital admissions, according to UKHSA data.

Tragically, one death is "likely" connected to the shiga toxin-producing E. coli (Stec) infection, as announced by authorities last week. Several food producers have issued recalls for sandwiches, wraps, and salads sold at major supermarkets and retail outlets due to concerns they may be linked to the outbreak.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) suspects that the implicated lettuce is the probable cause of the contamination, reports Gloucestershire Live. Amy Douglas, incident director at UKHSA, said: "It's encouraging that reported cases are continuing to decline, however we still expect to see a few more cases linked to this outbreak as further samples are referred to us for testing."

Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the FSA, said: "The food chain investigation into this outbreak will continue to take account of any new information as it becomes available. We will continue to work with the relevant businesses, local authorities and agencies involved to ensure the necessary steps are in place to protect consumers."

2024-07-05T16:10:12Z dg43tfdfdgfd