Salmonella outbreak SPIKE: Infections linked to eggs up 25% – as experts warn of deadly risks
More than 50 additional cases of salmonella have been confirmed amid a major outbreak linked to imported eggs – as health officials scramble to control the spread.
As of August 25, one person has died and 259 cases have been confirmed, the UK Health and Security Agency said today.
The figures are based on samples collected up to and including August 8 and represent a 25 per cent increase on the 207 cases previously reported.
Given the lag between people falling ill and cases being confirmed, many of the newly recorded infections are likely to have occurred in recent weeks.
The agency issued a national alert earlier this month, suggesting that those affected had become sick after eating out from cafes, restaurants and takeaways.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) added investigations had identified links to imported eggs ‘mainly used by food service and catering establishments such as restaurants’.
It said there was no evidence that UK-produced eggs were affected, but urged anyone handling eggs, eggshells or packaging to wash their hands thoroughly in a bid to stop the spread.
The UKHSA is also investigating two additional salmonella clusters – also thought to be associated with imported eggs – with 177 and 38 confirmed cases reported in England.
With seven European countries now affected, public health officials are rushing to identify the source – and this week the investigation widened to include chicken.
Salmonella is typically caught by eating contaminated food such as poultry, meat, eggs, raw fruit and vegetables and unpasteurised dairy products.
It usually causes symptoms such as a fever and vomiting which clear in a few days.
In rare cases, it can be fatal, with infants, pregnant women, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems most at risk.
More than a third of patients for whom information was available required hospital treatment, while in two cases the bacteria escaped the gut and entered the bloodstream – a potentially life-threatening complication.
However, health officials maintain that the risk to the general public from Salmonella remains low.
Hannah Charles, Lead Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: ‘We continue to work with the FSA and other public health agencies to investigate these Salmonella clusters in the UK.
‘It’s important to emphasise that the overall risk to the general public remains low.
‘Our investigation to date indicates a link to imported eggs, however this investigation remains ongoing. We will continue to follow up cases and investigate any further common sources if they come to light.’
Professor Ian Young, the chief safety adviser to the FSA, added that its safety advice remains the same: ‘Eggs that are thoroughly cooked and handled hygienically should not present a food safety risk.’
