The Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak in the U.K. has now sickened nearly 250 people, and three of them have reportedly died. And, according to public health officials, the illnesses can likely be traced back to a single source of eggs.
Public Health England officials said that 30 cases have now been reported in London, 54 in the West Midlands, 99 in Hampshire and 39 in Cheshire and Merseyside. The three people who died were at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham, although officials there said that two of the three deaths were not directly attributed to Salmonella infection. Thirty-two cases had earlier been linked to The Real China restaurant chain in Eastleigh this past month, officials said. Eastleigh is near Southhampton on England’s southern coast. Of the total cases, 158 have been reported since Aug. 15, public health staffers said, noting that the case reports had been slowing down. All of the cases were closely related strains of Salmonella Enteritidis, which is often linked to the consumption of poultry or eggs. While anyone can be infected with Salmonella bacteria, young children, the elderly and people whose immune systems are not working properly have a greater risk of becoming severely ill. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever.
