First death linked to E.coli outbreak

According to the British health authority Health Security Agency, one person has died in England in connection with the ongoing E. coli outbreak.

The patient, who suffered from underlying medical conditions, died in May, officials said Thursday.

A total of 275 people were infected during the outbreak. The infection is traced back to the lettuce in sandwiches, wraps, sandwiches and buns sold in large supermarkets and retail chains.

Several food manufacturers have recalled a number of products from sale because they fear a connection.

Authorities said they had identified two people who died within a month of being infected with a strain called STEC O145, but only one of those deaths could be linked to the outbreak.

Amy Douglas, head of operations at UKHSA, said the agency expected infection numbers to rise as more samples were referred for testing.

Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency, said: “Earlier this month, we confirmed that several sandwich manufacturers had taken precautionary measures to withdraw and recall various sandwiches, wraps, subs and buns after we were able to narrow down a wide range of foods to a type of lettuce used in sandwich products as the likely cause of the outbreak based on food chain links and epidemiology.

“This remains a complex investigation and we continue to work with the businesses involved and local authorities to ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect consumers.

“While we believe the likely source of the outbreak is related to lettuce, we continue to work to confirm this and identify the root cause of the outbreak among growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that actions can be taken to prevent recurrence.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated