UK Salmonella Outbreak Reaches 474 Cases and 2 Deaths as Probe Links Imported Eggs
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 27
UK Salmonella Outbreak Reaches 474 Cases and 2 Deaths as Probe Links Imported Eggs
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 27
Summary
UK authorities raised the salmonella outbreak total to 474 cases and 2 deaths after identifying two new infection clusters, up from 207 cases reported last week.
Three near-identical genetic clusters suggest a common food source, and investigators say the strongest evidence so far points to imported eggs consumed while eating out rather than eggs cooked at home.
More than a third of patients — ranging from babies to people aged 92 — needed hospital care, with most cases recorded in recent weeks and months across England, especially London and Yorkshire and Humber.
The Food Standards Agency said the exact cause is still under investigation but there is no evidence UK-produced eggs are affected; British Lion and Laid in Britain eggs remain safe to eat, officials said.
Related cases have also appeared in six European countries, including 106 in the Netherlands, where investigators are instead examining a possible link to chicken meat.