One person in England dies in E.coli outbreak after mass recall of sandwiches

27 June 2024 , 13:23

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Hundreds have been infected by the bacteria

ONE person in England has died in an E.coli outbreak thought to have been spread by contaminated lettuce.

The death comes after Brits were warned not to eat a selection of wraps, sandwiches and salads after the nasty stomach bug landed dozens in hospital.

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E.coli bacteria has led to the death of one person in EnglandCredit: Getty

Those with symptoms might experience abdominal and/or pelvic painCredit: Getty

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it has identified two people in England who died within 28 days of infection with shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC).

It said: "Based on the information available from health service clinicians one of these deaths is likely linked to their STEC infection.

"Both individuals had underlying medical conditions. The deaths occurred in May."

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At least 275 people have been infected in the spate of cases up to June 4.

A whopping 49 per cent of confirmed cases have been hospitalised.

England is the worst affected in the UK-wide incident, with 182 cases compared to 58 in Scotland, 31 in Wales, and four in Northern Ireland.

Investigators have narrowed down the source to lettuce used in ready-to-eat sandwiches.

Product recalls have been issued by Asda, Aldi, Amazon, Boots, the Co-op, Morrisons, One Stop, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency, said: “We are confident in the likely source of the outbreak being linked to lettuce.

“Work continues to confirm this and identify the root cause of the outbreak with the growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that actions can be taken to prevent a re-occurrence.”

News of the E. coli outbreak emerged earlier this month, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warning that 113 people had fallen ill and 37 were hospitalised with a rare strain of the bacteria called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O145 (STEC).

Experts warned that a "nationally distributed food item" or "multiple food items" could the the source of sickness, several manufacturers pulled products from shelves as a precaution and warned shoppers not to eat them.

E.coli are common bacteria but sometimes cause illness, typically vomiting and diarrhoea.

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Most cases clear up on their own with good hydration and rest but serious infections may need hospital treatment.

Fatalities are rare but it is possible for patients to suffer kidney damage or blood clotting, with young children, elderly people and those with weak immune systems at highest risk.

To avoid spreading the illness, people with diarrhoea or vomiting should wash their hands regularly, clean surfaces at home, avoid touching other people’s food, and stay off work or school.

UKHSA officials say the rate of infection now appears to be slowing down.

Incident director Amy Douglas said: “We’re pleased that fewer cases have been reported but we still expect to see a few more cases linked to this outbreak as further samples are sent for testing.”

Full list of recalls

If there is a problem with a food that means it shouldn't be sold, then it might be withdrawn - which means it's taken off the shelves - or recalled when customers are asked to return the product.

Here is the full list of sandwiches, wraps and salads recalled over fears they might contain dangerous bacteria, where each of them is sold and the 'use-by' date on the last affected batch.