Boy, 13, dies after spending nine years in a coma caused by contaminated CHEESE

A 13-YEAR-old boy has died after spending nine years in a coma caused by contaminated cheese. Mattia Maestri, from Italy, was hospitalised in 2017 aged just four after eating a single piece of raw milk cheese. Mattia Maestri, 13, died after spending nine years in a coma caused by eating contaminated cheese Credit: Jam Press He was left in a coma after E. coli triggered the life threatening condition haemolytic uremic syndrome Credit: Jam Press Officials later discovered that the cheese was contaminated with shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), a rare strain of the diarrhoea-causing bug. He was left in a coma after STEC triggered haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney failure. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! Mattia, who required round-the-clock care died on Sunday (August 2), with his funeral in Coredo, a village in northern Italy, taking place a day later. His father Giovanni Battista Maestri said: “Our Mattia has left us and on his behalf I thank you for contributing to making his passing less painful.” Mattia had reportedly eaten the contaminated ‘Due Laghi’ raw-milk cheese produced by a local dairy in June 2017. Raw milk cheese means it doesn’t go through the heating pasteurisation process that kills potentially harmful bugs. After initially attending hospital, he was transferred when his condition deteriorated to a hospital in Trento, northern Italy. Two men from the dairy were convicted of causing grievous bodily harm after a long court battle. Most read in Health Following his son’s illness, Giovanni founded a consumer group and published a book warning parents about the hidden dangers of unpasteurised dairy. STEC is considered to be extremely infectious, only a few bacteria need to be ingested for a person to become ill. Dad, Giovanni founded a consumer group and published a book warning parents about the hidden dangers of unpasteurised dairy Credit: Jam Press It is primarily spread by eating contaminated foods, such as raw vegetables that have not been washed or stored correctly or from undercooked meat. It can also be spread by touching infected animals or their faeces, either directly or through contaminated water. People can also pass the bug on through direct content, such as caring for a child who is sick and then touching their face and mouth without properly washing their hands. Symptoms include vomiting, fever, stomach cramps and diarrhoea, the UKHSA says. Children under the age of five are most commonly affected by HUS. However, it can also affect other vulnerable groups, including the elderly and immunocompromised. Brits are advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E. coli infection. For children under five these can include disinterest in breast or bottle feeding and signs of dehydration such as fewer wet nappies. Both adults and children are advised to call NHS 111 or their GP if they keep vomiting for two days or have diarrhoea for a week. Anyone suffering bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom should call NHS 111 or their GP immediately. Comment now