A MYSTERIOUS E. coli outbreak that swept across the UK last year left one dead and dozens 'severely ill', as officials raced to find the source of the outbreak. Now, investigations have confirmed minced beef as the probable cause.
The spate of severe gastrointestinal illnesses was first detected by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) surveillance systems in June 2023. Health officials were were able to determine that the outbreak was being cause by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O183:H18, a rare strain of E. coli that leaves sufferers with bloody diarrhoea, as well as tummy pain, fever and vomiting.
But how Brits were being contaminated with the bacteria in the first place has remained a mystery. At the time, officials suggested hard cheese, strawberries cucumbers, peppers and watermelon could be the source . As the STEC strain causing the illnesses is rarely seen in the UK and patients seemed to be experiencing severeoutcomes, and an incident management team meeting was convened.
A report published in the journal Microbial Genomics confirmed that sufferers likely picked the illness up from eating beef burgers or minced beef. Between May and July 2023, there were 27 confirmed cases linked to the STEC outbreak and one probable one. One person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) after their bout of E.
coli - this is a rare kidney condition can cause damage to red blood cells and blood vessels and result in kidney failure. Another person passed away in con.
