E.coli Outbreak May Be Caused By Salad

At present, there have already been 109 people who have been contaminated by E.coli, 102 of them are from England, 6 in Wales and one in Scotland. Public health officials said that the outbreak could be linked to eating contaminated mixed salad leaves.

According to a report from BBC News, E. coli O157 infection can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to bloody diarrhea with severe abdominal pain. Public Health England said it has started to improve surveillance and is also carefully monitoring the situation across the United Kingdom. Although no one knows what caused the infection, preliminary investigations reveal that many of those who were affected are salad, including rocket leaves before getting sick.

We’re investigating a national E.coli O157 outbreak which may be associated with eating mixed salad/rocket leaves https://t.co/bAdKm80UOH

— PublicHealthEngland (@PHE_uk) July 5, 2016

Dr. Isabel Oliver, director of PHE's field epidemiology service, said: "At this stage, we are not ruling out other food items as a potential source." Public Health England was made aware of the outbreak at the end of June. Independent.co.uk  also reported Dr. Oliver saying, "We urge people to remove any loose soil before storing vegetables and thoroughly wash all vegetables (including salads) that will be eaten raw unless they have been pre-prepared and are specifically labelled 'ready to eat'. The PHE has also been working alongside the Food Standards Agency and will provide any necessary advice about public health as investigations are still ongoing. Dr. Oliver added: "It's also vital to wash hands thoroughly using soap and water after using the toilet, before and after handling food and after contact with any animals and pets, including farm animals. "Small children should also be supervised when washing their hands."

@PHE_uk Who do you report a suspected e Clio case from eating salad leaves to? Other than visiting your GP of course. — Michael J Tait (@MichaelJTait) July 5, 2016

It has been known so far that these bacteria can be transferred to another person through poor hand washing and poor toilet hygiene, hence PHE's reminders.

According to The Telegraph, the bacteria can be found in the gut and feces of many animals, specifically cattle. These bacteria can contaminate food and water.