By Emily Stearn, Health Reporter For Mailonline
12:42 29 Dec 2023, updated 13:18 29 Dec 2023
One Brit has died in an E. coli outbreak linked to artisan cheese.
At least thirty people had been sickened by the rare strain of the diarrhoea-causing bug linked to a dairy manufacturer near Preston.
Safety chiefs have urged the public not to eat four varieties of Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese, made using raw cow’s milk. Another type slapped with the same alert, made by the same dairy farm, is sold in Waitrose.
Some might also have been gifted unknowingly in festive hampers, officials say.
Health officials are scrambling to find the source of the outbreak, which is thought to have emerged in late July. Investigations are ongoing.
The outbreak has affected children as young as seven. MailOnline understands the death was reported in Scotland.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) did not reveal the age of the patient who died.
The body, which is tasked with thwarting any infectious disease threats, said the ages of the affected patients ranged from ‘seven to 81’.
All tested positive for a specific strain called 0145 feared to be lurking in the cheese.
STEC, or shiga toxin-producing E. coli, is spread by eating contaminated foods, such as raw leafy vegetables or undercooked meat.
The very infectious bacteria can also be spread by touching infected animals or their faeces and coming into contact with other people who are sick.
Symptoms vary from mild to bloody diarrhoea, the UKHSA says. Vomiting, fever and stomach cramps are other tell-tale signs.
But in severe cases, the bug can cause haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure.
Children under the age of five are most commonly affected by HUS, but it can also affect other vulnerable groups, including the elderly and immunocompromised.
UKHSA chiefs said people should take extra care to both avoid infection, and if hit by the bug, passing it on to others.
Amy Douglas, UKHSA’s incident director for gastrointestinal infections and food safety, said: ‘There have been at least 30 confirmed cases of this specific outbreak strain of STEC in the UK.
‘If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, you can take steps to avoid passing it on to family and friends over the festive period.
‘Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading. Don’t prepare food for others if you have symptoms or for 48 hours after symptoms stop.’
To date, five varieties of Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese in total have been urgently recalled and slapped with a ‘do not eat’ alert over contamination fears.
These include Mrs Kirkham’s Mild and Creamy Lancashire, Tasty Lancashire, Mature Lancashire and Smoked Lancashire varieties.
The fifth came yesterday after Waitrose recalled its artisan No.1 Farmhouse Kirkham’s Lancashire product.
The FSA first issued a ‘precautionary’ recall alert of the four Mrs Kirkham products on Christmas Eve.
At the time, the FSA said further recalls of other products might be issued as investigations continue.
Mrs Kirkham’s said: ‘We are working very closely with our local Environmental Health Officers and the FSA to fully understand the situation, and whether our products have been correctly implicated.
‘This recall relates to new testing techniques designed to better identify potentially dangerous strains of Shiga Toxin producing E. coli.
‘Unfortunately, these new testing techniques are not currently industry standard.’
The statement also said that due to many laboratories currently being closed over the festive period the business had been left in ‘limbo’.
‘We will be suspending all orders until investigations are completed and we have some answers.’
Tina Potter, head of incidents and the FSA, said: ‘We are aware this recalled product may be popular over the festive period, especially as it has been sold as part of a Christmas gift hamper.
‘So we are urging consumers to check whether they have bought or been gifted this product.’
Health chiefs have investigated three other STEC outbreaks since October, including a different strain of 0145. Each outbreak affected between 15 and 44 people, officials said.
Cattle are the biggest reservoir of the most common type of STEC seen in the UK — a strain known as 0157.
But the bug has also been found in deer, rabbits, horses, pigs and wild birds.
Large outbreaks have been linked with foodborne transmission, the UKHSA says.
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
