People who have ‘ready to eat’ dairy items in fridge warned

People who have “ready to eat dairy” in their fridge have been warned over an E coli outbreak which left 37 in hospital. At least 37 people have been admitted to hospital and 113 cases confirmed between May 25 and June 4, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, reckons it isn’t something that needs to be cooked as it’s unlikely so many people would make the same mistake. He told the Mail on Sunday: “It would be much more likely to be foods that are not going to be cooked before they are consumed. “We’ve had outbreaks associated with dairy products, for example. Cheese is a classic, and we’ve had ice cream before. There’s a whole range – any dairy products that are being processed.” Prof Pennington told Sky News: “Traditionally with E. coli, as it affects women more than men, we focus on salads. “But [in this outbreak], it doesn’t mean the two-year-old ate the food. About 20 per cent of cases of this particular kind of E. coli are in families where the bug has spread from one infected person to others. Somebody preparing the food may not have washed their hands after going to the toilet, for example. “That’s a possibility that needs to be looked at.” Trish Mannes, incident director at UKHSA, said: “If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, you can take steps to avoid passing it on to family and friends. NHS.uk has information on what to do if you have symptoms and when to seek medical advice. “Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using disinfectants to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading. If you are unwell with diarrhoea and vomiting, you should not prepare food for others while unwell and avoid visiting people in hospitals or care homes to avoid passing on the infection in these settings. “Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped.”