A map reveals food poisoning hotspots in England and Wales as hundreds of people fall ill after mass recalls of sandwiches.
At least one person has died and 288 have been infected 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 sent dozens of people to hospital.
Officials at the UK Health Security Agency say the infection rate now appears to be slowing.
Incident director Amy Douglas said: “We are pleased that fewer cases have been reported, but we still expect to see a few more cases linked to this outbreak as more samples are sent for testing.”
E.coli are common bacteria, but they sometimes cause illness, usually vomiting and diarrhea.
It can be contracted by eating contaminated food, touching animals or people infected with the disease, and playing with or drinking contaminated water.
Most cases resolve spontaneously with good hydration and rest, but serious infections may require hospital treatment.
Deaths are rare, but it is possible for patients to suffer kidney damage or blood clotting, with young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems most at risk.
Around a million people in the UK suffer from food poisoning every year.
A bacteria called campylobacter, found in raw chicken, causes the majority of cases – more than other food poisonings such as E. coli, listeria and salmonella combined.
Hospital admissions for campylobacter, E. coli and salmonella have reached their highest level in decades, recent NHS data suggests.
Food poisoning hotspots in Britain
The UKHSA releases weekly records of food poisoning in England and Wales, based on reports it receives from doctors about suspected cases of infectious disease.
It doesn’t specify which bugs might be behind which 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 getting food poisoning.
Family doctors reported 147 suspected cases of the disease between June 24 and 30, compared to 79 in May.
Food poisoning rates tend to increase in the summer months because bacteria grow faster in warmer weather.
This week the north appears to be the hotbed for food poisoning, 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, while doctors in Wales recorded eight in the same period.
London came next with four cases.
The East Midlands followed closely behind with three cases, the same as the South East.
Doctors in the South West have seen just one case, while doctors in the West Midlands have reported none.
Foods Most Likely to Trigger Food Poisoning
MOST foods have the ability to make us sick, but some are much more likely to do so than others.
According to Health LineThe 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)
- Unpasteurized dairy products
- Raw or undercooked egg
- Fruit (e.g. pre-prepared fruit salads, berries and melon)
- Raw sprouts (e.g. mung beans, lucerne and clover)
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
