Isle of Wight E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk
EHN Online Katie Coyne 19/10/2017
Raw milk has been linked to an outbreak of E. coli on the Isle of Wight prompting health officials to issue a recall.
The source of the outbreak has been identified as Briddlesford Lodge Farm. Four confirmed cases of E. coli 0157 have been identified and all four patients have made a good recovery.
However, there have been a further three cases of Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) linked to this outbreak and these patients are receiving hospital treatment.
Public Health England South East’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health Protection team has been working in partnership with environmental health officers from Isle of Wight Council and the FSA.
They have urged the public to either return the milk or throw it away. This includes milk that may have been frozen for future consumption.[unique_solution]
The farm has been co-operating fully with the investigation and the affected raw milk has not entered the sales chain since Monday 25 September 2017.
Dr Ishani Kar-Purkayastha, consultant in communicable disease control for PHE South East, said: ‘All steps have been taken to prevent the spread of infection further including removal of the milk from sale, and necessary hygiene and safety measures.’
Professor Rida Elkheir, Isle of Wight Council’s director of public health, said: ‘I would like to reassure the public that all of the agencies and the farm have acted quickly to reduce any risk and the farm is continuing to work closely with us.’
Professor Guy Poppy, chief scientific adviser at the FSA, said: ‘Unpasteurised or ‘raw’ milk may contain harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning because it has not been heat treated.
‘Long standing FSA advice has been that older people, infants, children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems, who are more vulnerable to food poisoning, should not consume raw drinking milk.’
A range of symptoms are caused by E.coli O157 infection including severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea and blood in diarrhoea. In a handful of cases the infection can progress to a serious condition called Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) that can lead to kidney failure.
As well as raw milk products the infection can be caused by eating food such as raw leafy vegetables and undercooked meat. It can also spread from person to person and from contact with farm animals. Hand washing is very important in preventing the infection from spreading.
Earlier this year public health officials investigated an outbreak of severe food poisoning linked with raw milk consumption near New Quay, Ceredigion.
Public Health Wales linked the cases of Campylobacter to the Penlan y Môr farm. All four individuals who became ill had drunk or bought milk from the Aberystwyth Farmer’s Market after 1 June.
Questions
- 1) Discuss the process of pasteurisation and explore how it helps to deliver food safety. (25 Marks)
- 2) Critically review the enforcement options available in cases where unacceptable food is found. Detail and justify what you consider to be the most appropriate course of action to be followed in this case, specifying any factors that might influence the decisions taken. (50 Marks)
- 3) Unacceptable foods are often found following sampling. With reference to relevant Code of Practice, Guidance, and Legislation discuss and evaluate the purpose of food sampling. (25 Marks)