This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/15/salmonella-outbreak-england-investigation

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Salmonella outbreak in England under investigation Salmonella outbreak in England under investigation
(about 2 hours later)
An investigation into a national salmonella outbreak has been launched, health officials have said. Health authorities are investigating a national outbreak of salmonella that has struck 156 people, mostly in Hampshire.
Public Health England (PHE) said it was looking into an outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis which has affected 156 people. Public Health England said there have been 55 cases of salmonella enteritidis in Hampshire, 25 in London, 33 in Cheshire and 43 in the West Midlands. Cases have also been seen in Austria and France. In the case of Hampshire, 32 of the cases were linked to The Real China restaurant in Eastleigh, which voluntary closed last month. It has since reopened.
Salmonella is one of a number of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. In Cheshire and Merseyside, 31 cases were connected with an outbreak at a Chinese takeaway. Of the 43 cases in the West Midlands, 34 were connected with the Birmingham Heartlands hospital outbreak, which led to the closure of eight wards.
Officials are looking into cases across Hampshire, London, the West Midlands and Cheshire and Merseyside, a PHE spokeswoman said. The cases occurred as isolated clusters over several months and were dealt with locally. They are now being reassessed under a national investigation as being potentially linked, said PHE.
The cases occurred in "isolated clusters" over several months but officials now say they could be potentially linked. "We are working with our colleagues across PHE, at the Food Standards Agency, in local authorities and with other public health organisations in Europe to investigate the cause of this outbreak," said Dr Paul Cleary, a consultant epidemiologist leading the PHE investigation. "We are making good progress and hope to have more conclusive evidence shortly."
Genetic tests suggest that the cause of illness in the 156 people could have come from a single source, PHE said. PHE said genetic testing methods revealed that all of the cases are infected with closely related strains, indicating that the cause of the illness is from a single sourceA health official said it was too early to specify this source.Some food and environmental samples from catering outlets have tested positive for salmonella with the same genetic profile as seen in the outbreak cases, said PHE.
PHE investigators are working alongside the Food Standards Agency to look into the cause of the outbreak, which may have also affected people in France and Austria. In France, 49 people have been affected.
Dr Paul Cleary, a consultant epidemiologist leading the PHE investigation, said: "We are working with our colleagues across PHE, at the Food Standards Agency, in local authorities and with other public health organisations in Europe to investigate the cause of this outbreak. We are making good progress and hope to have more conclusive evidence shortly. Salmonella enteritidis is a strain of bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness and is often associated with poultry or eggs. Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever. Most people recover without treatment, although it is important to drink lots of water.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and if there is any further public health action necessary then we will ensure that this takes place." In March last year, 400 people fell ill from a salmonella outbreak associated with the Street Spice festival, held in Newcastle between 28 February and 2 March. Health experts said it was caused by uncooked curry leaves.
Across England experts are examining 55 cases in Hampshire, 32 of which have been connected with an oriental restaurant, and 33 cases in Cheshire and Merseyside, 31 of which have been linked to one oriental takeaway. In the West Midlands, PHE is looking at 43 cases, 34 of which are connected with the Birmingham Heartlands hospital outbreak.
It is also looking at 25 cases in London.
Salmonella enteritidis is a strain of bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness and is often linked to poultry or eggs.