At least 86 people have been hospitalized with E. coli linked to supermarket sandwiches.
Food bosses are “convinced” that a type of lettuce found in sandwiches is behind an outbreak of a bloody bug that causes diarrhoea.
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More than 86 people were admitted to the hospital with E. coli E. coli, most likely after eating contaminated lettuce
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John was left with Guillain-Barre syndrome after eating a recalled wrapper Credit: SWNS
New figures from the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) show there have been 45 more cases of E. coli infection since 18 June.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases across the UK since the start of the outbreak to 256.
All those affected developed their first symptoms before May 31.
It comes after a Cheshire man suffered a “serious brain injury” after catching E. coli from a £4.99 wrapper he bought from Boots – which has since been recalled
John Daniels, 66, has now ordered lawyers to look into the disease after it emerged that hundreds of people have been affected by the outbreak.
All cases were caused by the Shiga toxin-producing strain of E. coli O145 (STEC), which can cause severe and sometimes bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever in patients.
The UKHSA said: “Although the rate of cases has now slowed, we expect the number to rise as NHS laboratories refer samples to the UKHSA for genomic sequencing which can link cases to this outbreak strain.”
The epidemic is “complex”
More than 60 sandwiches, salads and wraps sold in major UK supermarkets and chains have been pulled from the shelves as a “precautionary measure” over fears they could be contaminated with the bacteria.
Affected retailers include Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, the Co-op and retail pharmacy chain Boots.
E. coli was not detected in the recalled products, but people who bought them were warned not to eat them and instead return them to stores for a refund.
What to do next if you have a food or product recall
The Food Standards Agency stressed that determining the exact source behind the outbreak was “complex” and that the investigation was “still ongoing”.
Darren Whitby, incident manager, said: “While we are confident that the source of the outbreak is linked to a small number of lettuce leaves, which we identified early on through extensive food chain analysis, work continues to establish the root cause of the outbreak with growers, suppliers and manufacturers to could take measures to prevent recurrence.
“We will remain vigilant until the root cause of the outbreak is confirmed and we have no preconceived notions about the possible causes of the outbreak.”
What is E. coli?
E. coli is a diverse group of bacteria that are otherwise harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals.
However, some strains produce toxins that can make people very sick, such as Stec.
People infected with Steca can suffer from diarrhea, and about 50 percent of cases have bloody diarrhea.
Other symptoms include stomach cramps and fever.
Symptoms can last up to two weeks in uncomplicated cases.
Some patients, mostly children, can develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious life-threatening condition that results in kidney failure.
A small proportion of adults can develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
Stec is often transmitted by eating infected food, but it can also be transmitted by close contact with an infected person, as well as direct contact with an infected animal or the place where it lives.
People are advised to call NHS 111 or contact their GP if they are concerned about a baby under 12 months.
They should also call if the child stops breastfeeding or bottle feeding while sick or develops signs of dehydration.
Help should also be sought if the person is sick and cannot keep fluids down, has bloody diarrhea or bleeding from the bottom, diarrhea lasts more than seven days, or vomits for more than two days.
Full list of products recalled due to E. coli scare
HERE is the full list of sandwiches, wraps and salads that have been recalled over fears they could contain dangerous bacteria, where each one is sold and the ‘use by’ date on the last infected batch.
Asda
- Smoky Beans and Cheddar Cheese Wrap – June 15th
- Chicken salad (sandwich) – June 15
- Chicken & Bacon Club (sandwich) – June 15
- Brie, Bacon and Chilli Chutney (Sandwich) – June 15th
- BLT (Sandwich) – June 16
- Vegan No Chick’n Caesar Wrap – June 15th
- Tuna Crunch Sub Roll – June 15th
- Southern Fried Chicken Wrap – June 15th
- Southern Fried Chicken Triple Wrap – June 15th
ALDI
- Chicken Fajita Triple Wrap – June 16th
Amazon
- Chicken salad sandwich – June 16
- Orač sandwich – June 16
- Salad with chicken and bacon – June 16
- Layered prawn salad – June 16
- BLT Sandwich – June 16th
Boots
- BBQ Chicken Wrap – June 16th
- BLT (Sandwich) – June 16
- Cheddar Cheese Ploughman’s (Sandwich) – June 16th
- Chicken Bacon Caesar Wrap – June 16th
- Chicken salad (sandwich) – June 16
- Chicken Triple (Sandwich) – June 16
- Delicious plowman with ham and cheese (sandwich) – June 16
- Greek-style halloumi and salad – June 16
- Ham & Egg Club (sandwich) – June 16
- Mixed triple (sandwich) – June 16
- Southern Fried Chicken Wrap – June 16th
- Spicy Bean & Cheese Wrap – June 16
- Vegan salad without chicken (sandwich) – June 16
- Vegan No Duck & Hoisin Wrap – June 16th
- Vege Triple (sandwich) – June 16
Cage
- Vegan Gro Onion Bhaji (Sandwich) – June 16th
- Mexican Style Bean and Cheese Wrap – June 16th
- Ham, cheese and pickles (sandwich) – June 16
- Ham and cheese wrap – June 16
- Chicken Bacon Caesar Wrap – June 17th
- Bacon, lettuce and tomato (sandwich) – June 16
Morrisons
- Chicken salad (sandwich) – June 16
- Chicken salad PFS (sandwich) – June 16
- Gluten-free chicken salad (sandwich) – June 16
- Gluten Free Sandwiches Pay – June 16th
One station
- Tuna Crunch Sat – June 16th
- Chicken salad sandwich – June 17
- Hoisin Duck Wrap – June 17th
- Sandwich with chicken, bacon and lettuce – June 17
Sainsbury’s
- Peri Peri Chicken Wrap – June 16th
- BBQ Pulled Pork & Red Leicester (sandwich) – June 16
- Focaccia with chicken, bacon and avocado (sandwich) – June 16
- Greek style wrapping – June 16
- Jerk Halloumi Wrap – June 16th
Tesco
- Chicken salad sandwich – June 16
- Chicken salad Sat – June 16
- BBQ Chicken Wrap – June 16th
- Hoi Sin Duck Wrap – June 16
- The Chicken Club Sandwich – June 16
- Tuna Crunch Sat – June 16th
- Spicy Bean Wrap – June 16th
- Sandwich with bacon and chicken salad – June 16
- Fajita Chicken Wrap – June 16th
- Greek Style Chicken Gyros Wrap Summer Edition – June 16th
Kitchen in the gym
- Peri Peri Chicken Chilled Wrap – June 16
WH Smith
- THIS ONE! In’t Chicken & Bacon Wrap – June 18th
Read more about recalls here,
How can I avoid getting sick from E. coli?
Trish Mannes, director of incidents at UKHSA, said: “Symptoms of STEC infections include severe and sometimes bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever.
“If you are unwell, have recently eaten salad leaves and are worried about any symptoms, follow NHS.uk’s guidance on when to seek help and steps you can take to avoid further spreading to family and friends.
“Although diarrhea and vomiting can have a number of causes, there are simple steps you can take to reduce your risk and the risk of infecting others.”
She advised you:
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water
- Using a disinfectant to clean surfaces to prevent further spread of infection
- Do not prepare food for others if you are unwell due to diarrhea and vomiting
- Avoid visiting people in hospitals or nursing homes to avoid spreading the infection in these settings
- Do not return to work, school or daycare until 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education