More than 200 Britons have been affected by a rare strain of E. Coli linked to contaminated salad leaves.
Food safety officials have said they are “confident” that a type of butter lettuce, called Apollo, is behind the outbreak of the virus that causes diarrhea.
However, exactly how they became contaminated has not yet been established.
Currently, more than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in 11 major stores have been slapped with ‘do not eat’ alerts for fear that they may contain Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
However, this is not the first time salad leaves have been blamed for the virus.
Studies suggest that leafy green vegetables are responsible for half of all E. coli outbreaks.
Food safety officials have said they are “confident” that an Apollo lettuce has caused the outbreak of the virus that causes diarrhea. However, efforts are being made to confirm the root cause.
He’s seen more than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold at 11 major stores with “do not eat” alerts for fear they may contain Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
In December, a 17-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire had to fight for her life after contracting the deadly strain of E. Coli. Antonia Hay is believed to have contracted STEC-HUS, caused by E. coli O157, from food at a Christmas market in Great Missenden.
Experts believe the texture of lettuce can make it more prone to bacteria and the fact that it is not cooked, which would normally kill the bugs, increases the risk.
Professor Paul Hunter, a renowned infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline: ‘During irrigation during growth, potentially contaminated water is allowed to rest on the lettuce leaf.
“The rough, waxy surface of the leaf also makes it difficult to remove E. coli.
“As for whether E. coli can penetrate lettuce tissue, probably yes, although the evidence is somewhat contradictory.
‘The main risk comes from bacteria attached to the surface of the leaves. Most other vegetables are peeled or cooked before eating.
“Things like cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers may not be cooked, but they grow some distance from the ground, so they are less likely to be contaminated.”
TO 2019 Research Review. Co-authored by Professor Hunter, 35 lettuce-related STEC outbreaks between 1995 and 2018 were also analyzed.
Eight were found to have “poor practices” when the processing of vegetables “may have contributed to the outbreak”, such as insufficient disinfection.
Another six were related to animal feces near crop fields.
“When the type of lettuce was reported, it was generally Cos lettuce, although Iceberg and Mesclun lettuce were implicated in one,” Professor Hunter told MailOnline.
“We also found that ready-to-use bagged lettuce is a common factor.”
Experts say that all salads should be washed thoroughly by soaking them in cold water.
Storing vegetables is also key: if there are bags of salad in the refrigerator and the temperature is below four degrees, bacteria will not multiply as quickly.
Experts also say the recent warm, humid weather may create an “ideal” breeding ground for the spread of E. coli.
Professor Eileen Wall, head of research at Scottish Rural College (SRUC), a research institution focused on agriculture and life sciences, said: “Rain can cause contaminated water to splash onto lettuce leaves, while “Heat provides a favorable temperature for bacteria.” proliferation.’
The aspiring actress spent almost two weeks in intensive care and only returned home temporarily on Christmas Day. She had multiple operations, including one to remove part of her intestine, and a blood transfusion because her kidneys were failing, forcing her to undergo dialysis.
Antonia’s father posted on Facebook asking people if they too were experiencing similar symptoms.
Bacteria could spread to lettuce through irrigation water, especially if the water is contaminated with fecal matter, he added.
Meanwhile, Nicola Holden, professor of food safety at SRUC, warned that wet weather could also have played a role.
She said: ‘The rainy climate means that for any crop grown in the field, humidity will be higher within the leaf canopy.
“We know that STEC favors high humidity conditions.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) typically records around 1,500 confirmed STEC infections in a year.
Studies have even shown that leafy greens are responsible for up to 58 percent of E. coli outbreaks. Experts believe that the texture of lettuce can make it more prone to bacteria, and they can even get trapped inside the vegetable.
However, authorities have raised the alarm after 211 Britons suffered from the strain in just over two weeks, from May 25 to June 11.
Of these, 147 were in England, 27 in Wales and 35 in Scotland.
Only two cases have been recorded in Northern Ireland, although authorities say this individual probably contracted the virus in England.
At least 67 people have also been admitted to hospital.
Victims include children as young as two years old, although the majority are young adults.
The UKHSA has said it expects the number of people falling ill to rise further as it carries out more research using genome sequencing to check which E. coli cases are linked.
While no bacteria have been found directly on supermarket products, more than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads have been recalled as a “precautionary measure.”
STEC is considered to be extremely infectious, and in up to 15 percent of cases, the bug can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure.
Children under five years of age are at highest risk for HUS.
A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).
In December, a 17-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire had to fight for her life after contracting the deadly strain of E. Coli.
Antonia Hay is believed to have contracted STEC-HUS, caused by E. coli O157, from food at a Christmas market in Great Missenden.
The aspiring actress spent almost two weeks in intensive care and only returned home temporarily on Christmas Day.
She had multiple operations, including one to remove part of her intestine, and a blood transfusion because her kidneys were failing, forcing her to undergo dialysis.
However, it is not known what type of food led Antonia to contract the disease.
Her older sister Jemima Hay said she was “lucky to be alive” and described the situation as “an absolute nightmare which has left our family devastated”.
She wrote on a GoFundMe page: ‘(Antonia) has continued to show amazing determination and strength throughout this time, despite immense stress, pain and trauma, all combined with an extreme phobia of injections.
“He is the youngest person admitted to the ICU room he is currently in.”
And he added: “He feels as if his dreams have been ripped away from him, since his studies in the performing arts will be seriously affected.”
People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E. coli infection.
For children under five, these may include disinterest in breast or bottle feeding and signs of dehydration, such as less wet diapers.
Both adults and children are advised to call NHS 111 or their GP if they continue to vomit for two days or have diarrhea for a week.
Anyone suffering from bloody diarrhea or bleeding from the bottom should call NHS 111 or their GP immediately.
