Cases of HUS in Germany have risen to 470, with nine reported deaths. German authorities have also reported 1,064 cases of bloody diarrhoea (VTEC or EHEC infection, caused by E. coli O104) related to the outbreak, with 4 deaths – bringing the total number of official reported deaths in Germany to 13.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirmed one new case of HUS and three new cases of bloody diarrhoea in England. All are suspected to be related to this outbreak.
Three of the four new cases, including the HUS case, are in UK residents with a recent travel history to Germany and one new case is in a German national on holiday in England. This brings the total number of cases in England to seven – three HUS and four bloody diarrhoea.
There are no reports of any secondary infections in England.
To date the exact source of the contamination has not been determined. The Food Standards Agency has confirmed that they are working closely with industry trade bodies, wholesalers and retailers, and have found no evidence that produce from possible sources identified so far has been distributed to the UK.
The HPA is reminding people travelling to Germany to follow the advice of the authorities and avoid eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers and leafy salad including lettuce, especially in the north of the country, until further notice.
In addition anyone returning from Germany with illness including bloody diarrhoea should seek urgent medical attention and make sure they mention their recent travel history.
Dr Dilys Morgan, head of the gastrointestinal, emerging and zoonotic infections department at the HPA, said:
“The HPA continues to actively monitor the situation very carefully and we are working with the authorities in Germany and with our counterparts across Europe as to the cause of the outbreak. We have alerted health professionals to the situation and advised them to urgently investigate and report suspected cases with a travel history to Germany.”
Source: Health Protection Agency
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