More than a dozen people have fallen ill in Ireland, and more cases have been recorded in Iceland in two different E. coli outbreaks.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in Ireland reported that the community outbreak contains 13 laboratory-confirmed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 cases. No cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) or deaths were noted.
An incident management team has been established with representation from all relevant stakeholders. Investigations are ongoing, but the source is believed to be foodborne.
No other European countries have reported cases of the outbreak strain to date.
In a recent board meeting, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said it had been a “busy” period with the number of outbreaks it had been involved in.
However, this was to be expected given advances in Whole Genome Sequencing and the ability to link human illnesses to food businesses through food or environment samples taken at specific sites.
In the first quarter of 2024, Ireland recorded 116 STEC infections. From April to June, 262 E. coli cases were reported, including 12 hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) cases. At least one of these was caused by consuming a soft cheese made with raw milk.
In Q2 2024, there were 17 outbreaks, with 60 sick people. The number of patients in each incident ranged from two to 18.
Iceland update
Meanwhile, the number of sick children in an E. coli outbreak in Iceland has jumped from 10 to 23.
Affected children are from the Mánagarði kindergarten in the Vesturbær district of Reykjavík. More than 100 children attend the center.
Landlaeknir (The Directorate of Health) said the origin of the infections has not been confirmed, but it is suspected to be food-related.
A total of 27 children are currently being assessed in hospital. Two are in the intensive care unit.
The kindergarten has been temporarily closed while the incident is investigated.
PCR tests were used to detect infections, but results of bacterial cultures for confirmation are still pending. No samples have yet been received from employees.
An investigation team includes epidemiologists, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST), Matis, a government-owned research company, and the Reykjavík Public Health Authority.
In 2023, 14 people were diagnosed with confirmed or possible E. coli infection in Iceland. This included two children aged 1 and 11 and 12 adults aged 22 to 86.
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