Skip to content
Personal information

E. Coli Sickens 85 in UK While Source Remains Unknown

Published:

The U.K. is currently investigating an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened 75 people across the country.  Public Health England (PHE), which is leading the investigation, reports that there are 67 victims in England, 3 in Wales and 5 in Scotland. There have been an additional ten secondary cases reported of people who came into contact with the primary cases.  Bloody diarrhea was reported by 58 people and 25 people have been hospitalized as a result of their illnesses. There have been no deaths or cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of an E. coli infection that can result in kidney failure.  PHE is working with Public Health Wales, Health Protection Scotland, Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Food Standards Agency to gather, share and analyze information.  The cause of the outbreak is still unclear.  “We have carried out initial investigations which involved interviewing some of the affected people to look for connections that link individuals in terms of the foods that they had eaten and the places they had visited in the days before they became ill,” said Dr. Bob Adak, head of the gastrointestinal diseases department at PHE. “This information is now being used to develop more in-depth investigations designed to identify the cause of the outbreak.”

News Desk

News Desk

The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.

All articles

More in Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

See all

More from News Desk

See all

Sponsored Content

Your Support Protects Public Health

Food Safety News is nonprofit and reader-funded. Your gift ensures critical coverage of outbreaks, recalls, and regulations remains free for everyone.