Another Briton dies in growing salmonella outbreak - almost 500 Britons now sickened by infection linked to imported eggs

Two people have died and almost 500 people have been infected with salmonella, in three major outbreaks linked to imported eggs, health officials say. The UK Health Security Agency reported 207 confirmed cases, and one death last week. That has now increased to 259, a 25 per cent increase over the past month. Investigations are ongoing but health chiefs believe imported eggs are the likely culprit for the crisis, with two new clusters bringing the total to 474 since the most recent official count last week.The UK cases so far have been linked to eating out 'from small cafes, restaurants and takeaway businesses', said the UKHSA. Cases of Salmonella are also being seen across seven other European countries - including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands - with public health officials rushing to identify the exact source. While the UKHSA has identified a 'link to imported eggs', Dutch health officials have investigated chicken products as a possible source of infection. The extensive risks posed by salmonella include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, severe dehydration, blood poisoning, organ failure and even death.Vulnerable groups – including over-65s, pregnant women and under-fives – have been advised to avoid runny eggs when eating out. Salmonella infections are up 25 per cent on previous figures, with many infections likely to have occurred in recent weeks The Food Standard Agency (FSA) said there was no evidence that UK-produced eggs were affected, but urged anyone handling eggs, eggshells or packaging to wash their hands thoroughly in a bid to stop the spread.Salmonella is typically caught by eating contaminated food such as poultry, meat, eggs, raw fruit and vegetables and unpasteurised dairy products. It usually causes symptoms such as a fever and vomiting which clear in a few days. In rare cases, it can be fatal, with infants, pregnant women, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems most at risk.More than a third (38 per cent) of confirmed salmonella patients in Britain - including babies and others as old as 92 - required hospital treatment. In two cases the bacteria escaped the gut and entered the bloodstream – a potentially life-threatening complication. Most cases have been recorded in recent weeks and months, but the samples date back as far as August last year. The majority have been in England, with London and Yorkshire and Humber worst affected. However, health officials maintain that the risk to the general public from salmonella remains low. Hannah Charles, lead epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: 'We continue to work with the FSA and other public health agencies to investigate these salmonella clusters in the UK. It's important to emphasise that the overall risk to the general public remains low. 'Our investigation to date indicates a link to imported eggs, however this investigation remains ongoing. We will continue to follow up cases and investigate any further common sources if they come to light.' Professor Ian Young, the chief safety adviser to the FSA, added that its safety advice remains the same: 'Eggs that are thoroughly cooked and handled hygienically should not present a food safety risk.' Commercial hens which produce eggs sold in UK supermarkets are vaccinated against the most common strains of salmonella, making any outbreak unlikely to start in Britain.Despite this, salmonella cases have been on the rise in the UK. Last year, there were 10,406 recorded cases – a decade high. Experts agree it is vital not to dismiss salmonella as 'just food poisoning'. When salmonella – bacteria that can live in the intestines of farm animals – breaches the gut wall and enters the circulation it causes bacteraemia, bacteria in the blood which can lead to life-threatening complications. Those most at risk include people with weakened immune systems, children under five and adults over the age of 65. One of the greatest dangers once salmonella reaches the bloodstream is sepsis – when the body's response to infection begins damaging its own tissues and organs.It affects 245,000 Britons and kills almost 50,000 each year, and can cause dangerously low blood pressure, multi-organ failure and death.Warning signs include confusion, extreme shivering, severe breathlessness, passing little or no urine and mottled or bluish skin. An overwhelming sense of 'impending doom' can also be a red flag.Sepsis requires urgent hospital treatment with antibiotics and, where needed, intravenous fluids and oxygen. Severe cases may require intensive care.