Hunt for thriller ‘nationally distributed meals merchandise’ that led to E.coli

Officials are hunting for a mystery food item that triggered an outbreak of E.coli that struck down 113 people and left at least 37 in hospital — with fears the bug could spread further during barbecue season.

Experts say the rare Shiga toxigenic (STEC) variant of the diarrhoea-causing illness is ‘particularly nasty’ and issued a warning to handle and cook food properly.

The source has not yet been discovered but there are fears that the looming barbecue season, when many may under-cook items, may fuel an even bigger outbreak.

It is not believed to be linked to the outbreak of E.coli at the end of last year that was linked to cheese sold under the Mrs Kirkham’s brand.

Professor of food safety Nicola Holden said people should maintain good kitchen hygiene — and be particularly careful when breaking out the barbecue during the warm weather.

She told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It’s a particularly nasty variant of E.coli and we have a high hospitalisation rate. What people can do is make sure they’re very vigilant about hand washing and follow advice from food standard agencies about keeping their food safe and keeping good hygiene in the kitchen.

‘We’re coming up to barbecue season. People must make sure those beef burgers are cooked thoroughly and not raw in the middle, for example.’

She said finding the food that carried the bug could be challenging if it was perishable and has already been eaten or disposed of.

‘It depends on what the source is as to whether they can identify it,’ she said. ‘If it’s a foodstuff, it’s very hard to identify foods that are perishable that we may have been consumed or thrown away already.

‘If it’s a food that’s got a longer shelf life or is frozen, for example, there’s more likelihood that it can be identified.

‘We have infections across all four nations which suggests it is something that is nationally distributed.’

Professor Holden said symptoms of the disease can range from gastroenteritis to bloody diarrhoea and a serious liver disease called haemolytic uremic syndrome. It tends to be more serious in very young children.

She added: ‘You can get quite nasty diarrhoea, but it can progress to much more serious disease requiring intensive care support.’

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it believes cases are linked to a ‘nationally distributed food item’ or ‘multiple food items’ and say they are investigating the cause. 

Two-thirds of those known to have been infected by the bacteria have become so severely ill they needed hospital care. 

Victims include children as young as two, though the majority are young adults, according to UK health and food watchdogs.   

UKHSA said a total of 113 cases have been logged between May 25 and June 4.

Of these, 81 were in England, with 18 in Wales and 13 in Scotland. 

Just one case has been recorded in Northern Ireland though officials say this individual likely caught the bug in England. 

Almost two thirds (61 per cent) of cases in England have become so ill they needed to be hospitalised. 

STEC is primarily spread by eating contaminated foods, such as raw vegetables that have not been washed or stored correctly or from undercooked meat. 

It can also be spread by touching infected animals or their faeces, either directly or through contaminated water, and coming into contact with other people who are sick and then touching their face and mouth 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 is not yet confirmed but there is currently no evidence linking the outbreak to open farms, drinking water or swimming in contaminated sea, lakes or rivers,’ it said. 

The agency, however, expects cases to continue to rise as further testing gets underway. 

Professor Nicola Holden, a bacteriologist and a member of Applied Microbiology International’s Food Security Advisory Group, said: ‘STEC has been with us since the 1980s. 

‘It is a continually evolving bacteria that, as a group, has a high degree of genetic diversity. 

‘Sometimes that makes it difficult to detect pathogens from surveillance efforts that may have the potential to cause disease, because their genetics don’t always follow a predictable pattern that definitively identify them as such.’

STEC is considered to be extremely infectious, only a few bacteria need to be ingested for a person to become ill. 

Symptoms of infection include vomiting, fever, stomach cramps and diarrhoea which can last up to two weeks. 

But in up to 15 per cent of cases, the bug can cause haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure.

Children under the age of five are at the highest risk of HUS.

However, it can also affect other vulnerable groups, including the elderly and immunocompromised. 

Trish Mannes, incident director at UKHSA, urged Brits to take steps to avoid catching or potentially passing the infection on to others. 

‘Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using disinfectants to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading,’ she said. 

‘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.’

Britain’s food safety watchdog the Food Standards Agency is also assisting UKHSA to ‘identify the source of the illness’. 

People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E.coli infection.  

For children under five these can include disinterest in breast or bottle feeding and signs of dehydration such as fewer wet nappies.

Both adults and children are advised to call NHS 111 or their GP if they keep vomiting for two days or have diarrhoea for a week.

Anyone suffering bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom should call NHS 111 or their GP immediately.