There is a looming health crisis in the United Kingdom which health experts are warning people to be careful about. The outbreak which is an E. Coli Virus U.K has already been confirmed and as of now, 67 people have already been admitted to hospital according to the UK health security agency.
According to the agency, most of the infections seen are in young children with children who are as young as two years old recorded to have the virus. There are also cases of the virus in adults with some adults old as 79 years old also being found to have the virus in them.
What is E. Coli Virus?
Before getting into the inner details of the E. Coli Virus U.K, it is essential to start by giving E. Coli Virus a description. E. Coli Virus is an abbreviation of Escherichia coli which is a bacterium commonly found in the lower intestine part of warm blooded organisms. Most E. Coli strains are not harmful. However, there are some among them capable of causing serious food poisoning.
In Britain, most of the recorded cases which have been confirmed to be Shiga Toxin producing E. Coli which is bacterium which causes a serious foodborne disease. All the E. Coli Virus U.K recorded cases contain a Stec in them.
Stec cases are not so strange in the UK as there are always more than 1500 cases of such cases in the country according to the relevant ministry of health. However, even with such projections, the recent E. Coli Virus U.K was not expected.
What Happened in United Kingdom?
The recent E. Coli Virus U.K has gotten the British ministry of health working hard again. So far, the ministry of health attributes the current cases to a single outbreak meaning there has not been any other outbreak in England. The National Health Service that the E. Coli Virus U.K has a direct connection with the food items that are distributed in hotels and eateries.
What Food is Mostly Affected by the E. Coli Virus U.K?
On 14th June 2024 two companies majoring in the manufacture and supply of sandwiches namely Greencore and Samworth Brothers Manton Wood had to recall their products due to the E. Coli Virus outbreak in the United Kingdom.
How Does Stec Spread?
There are many sources of Stec which are believed to be the cause of E. Coli Virus U.K. They include raw and meat products which are not properly cooked. The strain can also be found in raw milk and vegetables which are contaminated with faeces. E. Coli Virus can be transmitted in a number of ways which include eating contaminated food or coming into close contact with an infect person. If you come into close contact with an infect animal or even the environment in which the animal resides then you might also get an infection.
Conclusion
The E. Coli Virus U.K is one of the biggest concerns in the United Kingdom. Already, there are about 67 cases of E. Coli virus confirmed in the UK also traced to one source. The authorities in the region are trying all they can to mitigate these infections to ensure that no more people get infected.