Two people have died as a result of the recent E. Coli outbreak that “appears to be linked” to mixed leaves, Public Health England (PHE) has said.
In total there are now 151 confirmed cases of the outbreak, with 144 in England concentrated in the South West, six in Wales, one in Scotland, and 62 cases receiving hospital attention.
PHE said it has advised a small number of wholesalers to stop adding some imported rocket leaves to mixed salad, pending further investigation, after tests showed the outbreak is likely to be an imported strain, possibly from the Mediterranean area. A previous PHE update said one wholesaler was at the centre of the investigation, but did not release the company name.
“PHE has been working to establish the cause of the outbreak and has identified that several of the affected individuals ate mixed salad leaves including rocket leaves prior to becoming unwell,” said Isabel Oliver, director of PHE’s field epidemiology service.
The source of the outbreak is not confirmed, Oliver stressed, adding that PHE is not ruling out other food items as a potential source.
“PHE is also working closely with the Food Standards Agency to trace, sample and test salad products grown in the UK and other parts of Europe,” she continued.
“All food sample results to date have been negative for E.coli O157, but it’s important to be aware that where food has been contaminated with E.coli O157, it is not always possible to identify the bacteria on food testing.'
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