E coli outbreak leaves 250 ill and one dead

An eight-month E coli

Outbreak

the left of the UK was not published at that time because their origins were unknown

An eight-month

E coli Outbreak in the UK and left 250 patients died, but was not published at the time because its origin is unknown, health officials.

After six months of investigations of the infection was related to end the population bulk handling of raw potatoes and leeks in their homes, said the Agency for Health Protection (HPA), which has now acknowledged the outbreak.

The case began last December and continued until July. A total of 250 victims - 100 of them under 16 - fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea. Of these, 74 required hospital treatment, including four who developed a rare digestive disorder can lead to kidney failure in children. A patient is identified, the HPA said he had health problems underlying died.

The four were treated for hemolytic uremic syndrome, a rare but serious complication of infection with E coli, while most people recover.

the epidemic has affected a rare strain of

E coli

0157

called phage type 8 (PT8).

It affected 193 people in England, 44 in Scotland and Wales 14. While 40% of the 250 were under 16 years, 69% were women.

In the last three years an average of 81 people across the UK have been infected with

E coli

0157

PT8.

The HPA said the Health Protection Scotland and Wales public health began to realize more of

E coli

case since December.

• an initial investigation, which called on all those affected by food intake and the places he had visited, were inconclusive. Unlike other
• E coli

epidemics has not been possible to identify a source of the outbreak, as a commercial farm or children, or producer food.

only after a second round of in-depth interviews with 30 patients that the researchers realized that the victims were 40 times more likely to have been in a house where people drive leeks sold in bulk and 12 times more likely to have been in a home bought or sold in bags of potatoes were treated, compared to a control group of 62 people affected.

"Our study showed a statistically significant association with leek potato sacks crude and cowardly, but these vehicles can not be the only source of pollution," said Dr Bob Adak, HPA GI experts who led the team multi-agency outbreak control investigated.
ground vegetables are believed to have been the most likely source of the