Case Study
In 2016, Public Health England (PHE) investigated a national outbreak of a rare strain of E. coli O157 that was identified by PHE’s whole genome sequencing technology. There had been 161 cases of this strain of E. coli identified (154 in England, 6 in Wales 6 and 1 in Scotland). Epidemiologists identified bags of mixed salad leaves as the likely cause of the outbreak.
Image taken from Giant Microbes.
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
(Esh-Er-Ic-E-Ah Co-Lie)
Please discuss the following in the comments below, and feel free to interact with other learners:
- How long should you stay off school or work when you have vomiting or diarrhoea?
- At what critical points should you wash your hands to avoid spreading microbes that cause foodborne illness?
- How should you store and treat raw vegetables, including salad, to prevent foodborne illness?
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