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Update on E. coli O104 outbreak in Germany (UK HPA, July 7 2011, edited)
[Source: Health Protection Agency, United Kingdom, full page: (LINK). Edited.]
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Update on E. coli O104 outbreak in Germany
7 July 2011
This week there have again been fewer new cases of Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhoea (VTEC or EHEC infection, caused by E. coli O104) in Germany.
Since our last update on Thursday 30 June, the German authorities have reported 11 new cases of HUS, bringing the total to 852. A further 149 new cases of bloody diarrhoea were reported, bringing the total to 3,259. Two more deaths from HUS have been reported in Germany since last Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths from the outbreak to 50 ?33 from HUS (32 in Germany, one in Sweden) and 17 from bloody diarrhoea (all in Germany).
One new case of bloody diarrhoea in a German national visiting the UK has been reported to the HPA in this week and a sample from the patient has been confirmed as the E. coli O104 strain. An alternative diagnosis has been found for one case of bloody diarrhoea previously linked to the outbreak and has subsequently been eliminated from the UK figures.
Therefore total number of cases in the UK therefore remains at 17? three HUS (all in England) and 14 bloody diarrhoea (13 cases in England, one in Scotland). To date, seven of these have been microbiologically confirmed and all 17 cases are related to travel to Germany.
The authorities in France have reported no further cases of HUS or bloody diarrhoea since our update last Thursday. An alternative diagnosis has been found for one of the HUS cases, so the number of cases now linked to this cluster in France is 15 ? seven HUS and eight bloody diarrhoea, with no deaths. Six of the HUS cases are confirmed E.coli O104? the same strain causing the outbreak in Germany.
A report published this week by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) into the possible source of the outbreaks in Germany and France has concluded that a batch of fenugreek seeds originally supplied from a company in Egypt to a German company is the most likely link between the two outbreaks.
This includes fenugreek seeds for sprouting but does not include ground spices for cooking or products with fenugreek as an ingredient. Additional precautionary action taken by the European Commission includes a temporary ban on the import of fenugreek and certain seeds, beans and sprouts imported from Egypt until 31 October 2011.
EFSA has said because the risk of cross-contamination between different seeds cannot be ruled out, its advice has not changed - they strongly recommend advising consumers not to grow sprouted seeds for their own consumption and not to eat sprouted seeds unless they have been cooked thoroughly.
The advice from the UK?s Food Standards Agency (FSA) is also unchanged. Sprouted seeds ? such as alfalfa, mung beans (usually known as beansprouts) and fenugreek ? should only be eaten if they have been cooked thoroughly until steaming hot throughout; they should not be eaten raw. Equipment that has been used for sprouting seeds should be cleaned thoroughly after use. People should always wash their hands before and after handling seeds intended for planting or sprouting as well as when preparing food. This advice is being kept under review by the FSA.
To avoid infection with E. coli, the HPA recommends that, as always, people should follow normal hand hygiene procedures and anyone suffering from symptoms of bloody diarrhoea and vomiting should immediately contact their GP.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more information from the Food Standards Agency, visit: http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2011/jul/efsaecoli
To view the European Food Safety Authority?s report, visit: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/110705.htm
The HPA carries out surveillance of E. coli in England. Its guidance on avoiding E. coli infections is as follows:
For a Q&A on this topic, visit the HPA website: http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1296689351788
The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) is funded by the HPA and healthcare professionals and members of the public can find more information about travel health, including country specific advice, by logging onto their website: www.nathnac.org
For media enquiries please contact the national HPA press office at Colindale on 020 8327 7901 or email colindale-pressoffice@hpa.org.uk. Out of hours the duty press office can be contacted on 020 8200 4400.
Last reviewed: 7 July 2011
-7 July 2011
This week there have again been fewer new cases of Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhoea (VTEC or EHEC infection, caused by E. coli O104) in Germany.
Since our last update on Thursday 30 June, the German authorities have reported 11 new cases of HUS, bringing the total to 852. A further 149 new cases of bloody diarrhoea were reported, bringing the total to 3,259. Two more deaths from HUS have been reported in Germany since last Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths from the outbreak to 50 ?33 from HUS (32 in Germany, one in Sweden) and 17 from bloody diarrhoea (all in Germany).
One new case of bloody diarrhoea in a German national visiting the UK has been reported to the HPA in this week and a sample from the patient has been confirmed as the E. coli O104 strain. An alternative diagnosis has been found for one case of bloody diarrhoea previously linked to the outbreak and has subsequently been eliminated from the UK figures.
Therefore total number of cases in the UK therefore remains at 17? three HUS (all in England) and 14 bloody diarrhoea (13 cases in England, one in Scotland). To date, seven of these have been microbiologically confirmed and all 17 cases are related to travel to Germany.
The authorities in France have reported no further cases of HUS or bloody diarrhoea since our update last Thursday. An alternative diagnosis has been found for one of the HUS cases, so the number of cases now linked to this cluster in France is 15 ? seven HUS and eight bloody diarrhoea, with no deaths. Six of the HUS cases are confirmed E.coli O104? the same strain causing the outbreak in Germany.
A report published this week by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) into the possible source of the outbreaks in Germany and France has concluded that a batch of fenugreek seeds originally supplied from a company in Egypt to a German company is the most likely link between the two outbreaks.
Although the evidence linking the two outbreaks to the implicated batch of fenugreek seeds is not definitive and investigations are continuing in all European countries, the European Commission has confirmed details of the withdrawal from sale across Europe of certain batches of fenugreek seeds sourced from Egypt.
This includes fenugreek seeds for sprouting but does not include ground spices for cooking or products with fenugreek as an ingredient. Additional precautionary action taken by the European Commission includes a temporary ban on the import of fenugreek and certain seeds, beans and sprouts imported from Egypt until 31 October 2011.
EFSA has said because the risk of cross-contamination between different seeds cannot be ruled out, its advice has not changed - they strongly recommend advising consumers not to grow sprouted seeds for their own consumption and not to eat sprouted seeds unless they have been cooked thoroughly.
The advice from the UK?s Food Standards Agency (FSA) is also unchanged. Sprouted seeds ? such as alfalfa, mung beans (usually known as beansprouts) and fenugreek ? should only be eaten if they have been cooked thoroughly until steaming hot throughout; they should not be eaten raw. Equipment that has been used for sprouting seeds should be cleaned thoroughly after use. People should always wash their hands before and after handling seeds intended for planting or sprouting as well as when preparing food. This advice is being kept under review by the FSA.
To avoid infection with E. coli, the HPA recommends that, as always, people should follow normal hand hygiene procedures and anyone suffering from symptoms of bloody diarrhoea and vomiting should immediately contact their GP.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more information from the Food Standards Agency, visit: http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2011/jul/efsaecoli
To view the European Food Safety Authority?s report, visit: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/110705.htm
The HPA carries out surveillance of E. coli in England. Its guidance on avoiding E. coli infections is as follows:
- Wash your hand thoroughly after using the toilet (or helping others including changing nappies), handling raw meat, before meals and after contact with animals.
- Cooking all minced meat products (i.e. burgers, meatloaf, meat balls etc.) thoroughly, until the colour is the same all the way through, and no blood runs from them;
- Ensure that refrigerators are working correctly, bacteria grow more quickly at temperatures over 4?C;
- Only leave cooked foods, meat and dairy products out at room temperature for a short time;
- Store uncooked meats below cooked meats and salad vegetables to avoid dripping juices onto ready to eat food;
- Store uncooked and cooked meats on different plates, avoid all contact between raw and cooked meats;
- Thoroughly wash all salad vegetables that will be eaten raw, do not prepare them with utensils that have also been used for raw meat;
- Children and the elderly who are particularly susceptible to the severe effects of VTEC should avoid eating or drinking unpasteurised dairy products;
- People who have been ill should not prepare food for others for at least 48 hours after they have recovered;
- Boil any drinking water if you are unsure of its source;
- Do not swim in water that you think may be contaminated by cattle and sheep in nearby fields.
For a Q&A on this topic, visit the HPA website: http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1296689351788
The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) is funded by the HPA and healthcare professionals and members of the public can find more information about travel health, including country specific advice, by logging onto their website: www.nathnac.org
For media enquiries please contact the national HPA press office at Colindale on 020 8327 7901 or email colindale-pressoffice@hpa.org.uk. Out of hours the duty press office can be contacted on 020 8200 4400.
Last reviewed: 7 July 2011
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