Lettuce blamed for salmonella outbreak, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 07 Oct 2004 - 11:00 PDT


UK - The Health Protection Agency (HPA), together with colleagues in the NHS and Local Authorities, are blaming lettuce for a national outbreak of salmonella.

The outbreak involves a strain of the bacteria called salmonella Newport and over 350 cases have been reported so far.

Dr Bob Adak, who is leading the investigation for the HPA, said: "In some of the local investigations the results suggest that consumption of lettuce from various catering, fast food and take-away premises are the likely main cause of the outbreaks."

He added: "The HPA have been working closely with the Food Standards Agency to look at the supply chain of these salad products and to see if we can identify where they became contaminated."

Salmonella Newport has the same symptoms as other strains of salmonella, including diarrhoea, vomiting and fever.

http://www.hda-online.org.uk

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