Map reveals Britain’s food poisoning hotspots as hundreds fall ill after mass recall of sandwiches
A MAP reveals the food poisoning hotspots across England and Wales as hundreds fall ill after mass recall of sandwiches.
At least one person has died and 288 have been struck down with E. coli in an outbreak thought to have been spread by contaminated lettuce.
In June, Brits were warned not to eat a selection of wraps, sandwiches and salads from five major supermarkets after the nasty stomach bug landed dozens in hospital.
UK Health Security Agency officials say the rate of infection now appears to be slowing down.
Incident director Amy Douglas said: “We’re pleased that fewer cases have been reported but we still expect to see a few more cases linked to this outbreak as further samples are sent for testing.”
E.coli are common bacteria but sometimes cause illness, typically vomiting and diarrhoea.
It can be caught by eating contaminated food, touching animals or people infected with the illness and playing or drinking contaminated water.
Most cases clear up on their own with good hydration and rest but serious infections may need hospital treatment.
Fatalities are rare but it is possible for patients to suffer kidney damage or blood clotting, with young children, elderly people and those with weak immune systems at highest risk.
Around one million people in the UK will get a bout of food poisoning each year.
A bacteria called campylobacter, found in raw chicken, causes the most cases – more than other food poisoning bugs E. coli, listeria and salmonella added together.
Hospital admissions for campylobacter, E. coli and salmonella have reached their highest level in decades, recent NHS data suggests.
Britain’s food poisoning hotspots
UKHSA releases weekly food poisoning tallies for England and Wales, based on notifications it receives from doctors about suspected infectious disease cases.
It does not specify which bugs might be behind what cases.
Its most recent Notifications of Infectious Diseases (NOIDs) report for the week leading up to June 30 suggests there has been a slight increase in the number of people with food poisoning.
GPs reported 147 suspected cases of the bug between June 24 and June 30, up from 79 in May.
Rates of food poisoning tend to increase in summer months because bacteria grow faster in warmer weather.
This week, the north appears to be the food poisoning hotspot, with Yorkshire reporting 80 cases and the North East 27.
Doctors in the North West noted 15 suspected infections during the last week of June, meanwhile, medics down in Wales saw eight in the same period.
London came in next with four cases.
The East Midlands followed closely behind with three cases, the same as the South East.
Doctors in the South West saw just one case while medics in the West Midlands reported none.
Foods most likely to trigger food poisoning
MOST foods have the ability to make us sick, but some are far more likely to than others.
According to Healthline, the most common culprits are:
- Raw or undercooked poultry (e.g. chicken, duck and turkey)
- Vegetables and leafy greens (e.g. lettuce, spinach and celery)
- Fish and shellfish (e.g. clams, mussels and scallops)
- Rice (if left at room temperature)
- Deli meats (e.g. ham, bacon and salami)
- Unpasteurised dairy
- Raw or undercooked egg
- Fruit (e.g. pre-prepared fruit salads, berries and melon)
- Raw sprouts (e.g. mung bean, lucerne and clover)