Whole genome sequencing of samples indicates most of the 113 cases reported across the UK between May 25 and June 24 are part of a single outbreak, the UKHSA said. Owing to the “wide geographic spread of cases”, the agency believes the outbreak – which has mostly affected young adults – is linked to a nationally distributed food item or multiple food items. The UKHSA said it is working with public health agencies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland to determine the cause of people’s illness.
E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals. (Image: Getty Images) Trish Mannes, incident director at UKHSA, said: “If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, you can take steps to avoid passing it on to family and friends.
“NHS.uk has information on what to do if you have symptoms and when to seek medical advice. “Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using disinfectants to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading.
“If you are unwell with diarrhoea and vomiting, you should not prepare food for others while unwell and 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.” At the moment the UKHSA has broken down the cases in the UK as follows: In a statement, the agency said: "Ba.
