At least 87 Brits admitted to hospital and hundreds sick with bug ‘likely from supermarket food’

AT least 86 people have been admitted to hospital with E. coli linked to supermarket sandwiches.

Food chiefs are “confident” a type of lettuce found in the sandwiches in behind the outbreak of the bloody diarrhoea-causing bug.

Over 86 people were admitted to hospital with E. coli E. coli, most likely after eating contaminated lettuce

SWNSJohn has been left with Guillain-Barre Syndrome after eating a recalled wrap[/caption]

New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows there have been 45 further cases of E. coli infection as of June 18.

This takes the total number of confirmed cases across the UK since the outbreak began to 256.

All those who have been affected first developed symptoms before May 31.

It comes as a Cheshire man was left with a “serious brain injury” after catching E. coli from £4.99 wrap he bought in Boots – which has since been recalled

John Daniels, 66, has now instructed lawyers to probe the sickness after it emerged hundreds of people had been affected by an outbreak of the bug.

All the cases were caused by a strain of the bacteria called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O145 (STEC), which can leave sufferers with severe and sometimes bloody diarrhoea, tummy pain and fever.

The UKHSA said: “Although the rate of cases has now slowed, we expect the figure to rise as NHS laboratories refer specimens to UKHSA for genomic sequencing which can link cases to this outbreak strain.”

The outbreak is “complex”

Over 60 sandwiches, salads and wraps sold major UK supermarkets and chains were pulled from shelves as a “precautionary measure” over fears they might be contaminated with the bacteria.

Affected retailers include Sainsbury’sAsdaAldiMorrisonsCo-op, and retail pharmacy chain Boots.

E. coli was not detected in the recalled products, but people who’d bought them were warned not to eat them and return them to stores for a refund instead.

The Food Standard Agency emphasised that determining the exact source behind outbreak was “complex” and it’s investigation “is still ongoing”.

Darren Whitby, head of incidents, said: “Although we are confident in the source of the outbreak being linked to a small number of salad leaves, which we identified early on through extensive food chain analysis, work continues to identify the root cause of the outbreak with the growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that actions can be taken to prevent a re-occurrence.

“We will remain vigilant until the root cause of the outbreak is confirmed and we are keeping an open mind about possible causes of the outbreak.”

What is E. coli?

E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals.

However, some strains produce toxins that can make people very ill, such as Stec.

People infected with Stec can suffer diarrhoea, and about 50 per cent of cases have bloody diarrhoea.

Other symptoms include stomach cramps and fever.

Symptoms can last up to two weeks in uncomplicated cases.

Some patients, mainly children, may develop haemolytic uraemic syndrome, which is a serious life-threatening condition resulting in kidney failure.

A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

Stec is often transmitted by eating contaminated food but can also be spread by close contact with an infected person, as well as direct contact with an infected animal or where it lives.

People are advised to call NHS 111 or contact their GP surgery if they are worried about a baby under 12 months.

They should also call if a child stops breast or bottle feeding while they are ill, or of they develop signs of dehydration.

Help should also be sought if people are being sick and cannot keep fluid down, there is bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom, diarrhoea lasts more than seven days or vomiting for more than two days.

Full list of products recalled over E. coli fears

HERE is the full list of sandwiches, wraps and salads recalled over fears they might contain dangerous bacteria, where each of them is sold and the ‘use-by’ date on the last affected batch.

Asda

Smoky Beans and Cheddar Cheese Wrap – June 15
Chicken Salad (Sandwich) – June 15
Chicken & Bacon Club (Sandwich) – June 15
Brie, Bacon and Chilli Chutney (Sandwich) – June 15
BLT (Sandwich) – June 16
Vegan No Chick’n Caesar Wrap – June 15
Tuna Crunch Sub Roll – June 15
Southern Fried Chicken Wrap – June 15
Southern Fried Chicken Triple Wrap – June 15

ALDI

Chicken Fajita Triple Wrap – June 16

Amazon

Chicken Salad Sandwich – June 16
Ploughman’s Sandwich – June 16
Chicken & Bacon Layered Salad – June 16
Prawn Layered Salad – June 16
BLT Sandwich – June 16

Boots

BBQ Chicken Wrap – June 16
BLT (Sandwich) – June 16
Cheddar Cheese Ploughman’s (Sandwich) – June 16
Chicken & Bacon Caesar Wrap – June 16
Chicken Salad (Sandwich) – June 16
Chicken Triple (Sandwich) – June 16
Delicious Ham & Cheese Ploughman’s (Sandwich) – June 16
Halloumi & Greek Style Salad wrap – June 16
Ham & Egg Club (Sandwich) – June 16
Mixed Triple (Sandwich) – June 16
Southern Fried Chicken Wrap – June 16
Spicy Bean & Cheese Wrap – June 16
Vegan No Chicken Salad (Sandwich) – June 16
Vegan No Duck & Hoisin Wrap – June 16
Veggie Triple (Sandwich) – June 16

Co-op

Vegan Gro Onion Bhaji (Sandwich) – June 16
Mexican Style Bean & Cheese Wrap – June 16
Ham, Cheese & Pickle (Sandwich) – June 16
Ham & Cheese Wrap – June 16
Chicken & Bacon Caesar Wrap – June 17
Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (Sandwich) – June 16

Morrisons

Chicken Salad (Sandwich) – June 16
Chicken Salad PFS (Sandwich) – June 16
Gluten-Free Chicken Salad (Sandwich) – June 16
Gluten-Free Sandwich Platter – June 16

One Stop

Tuna Crunch Sub – June 16
Chicken Salad Sandwich – June 17
Hoisin Duck Wrap – June 17
Chicken, Bacon and Lettuce Sandwich – June 17

Sainsbury’s

Peri Peri Chicken Wrap – June 16
BBQ Pulled Pork & Red Leicester (Sandwich) – June 16
Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Focaccia (Sandwich) – June 16
 Greek Style Wrap – June 16
Jerk Halloumi Wrap – June 16

Tesco

Chicken Salad Sandwich – June 16
Chicken Salad Sub – June 16
BBQ Chicken Wrap – June 16
Hoi Sin Duck Wrap – June 16
The Chicken Club Sandwich – June 16
Tuna Crunch Sub – June 16
Spicy Bean Wrap – June 16
Chicken Bacon & Lettuce Sandwich – June 16
Fajita Chicken Wrap – June 16
Summer Edition Greek Style Chicken Gyros Wrap – June 16

The Gym Kitchen

 Peri Peri Chicken Chilled Wrap – June 16

WH Smith

THIS! Ins’t Chicken & Bacon Wrap – June 18

Read more on the recalls here,

How can I avoid getting sick with E. coli?

Trish Mannes, Incident Director at UKHSA, said: “Symptoms of infections with STEC include severe and sometimes bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever.

“If you are unwell, have eaten salad leaves recently and are concerned about any symptoms, follow NHS.uk guidance on when to seek help and the steps you can take to avoid further spread to family and friends.

“While diarrhoea and vomiting can have a range of causes, there are simple steps you can take to reduce your risk and risk of infecting others.”

She advised you:

Wash your hands with soap and warm water

Using disinfectants to clean surfaces to help stop any further spread of infection

Do not prepare food for others if you are unwell with diarrhoea and vomiting

Avoid visiting people in hospitals or care homes to avoid passing on the infection in these settings

Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped

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