Salmonella outbreak SPIKE: Infections linked to eggs up 25% - as experts warn of deadly risks

Salmonella cases have risen by 25 per cent in the past month amid the major outbreak that’s killed one Briton and left more than 250 people ill. Health chiefs believe imported eggs are the likely culprit for the crisis, which has affected 52 additional people since the most recent official count last week, up from 207 at the start of the month.Seven European countries are now affected by the outbreak, with public health officials rushing to identify the exact source. While the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified a 'link to imported eggs', the investigation is ongoing, and last week Dutch health officials were investigating whether chicken products may also be to blame. The European salmonella outbreak has so far affected the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria and Denmark. The extensive risks posed by salmonella include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, severe dehydration, blood poisoning, organ failure and even death.The UK cases so far have been linked to eating out 'from small cafes, restaurants and takeaway businesses', said the UKHSA.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) added investigations had identified links to imported eggs 'mainly used by food service and catering establishments such as restaurants' and warned vulnerable groups – including over-65s, pregnant women and under-fives – should 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 It 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 for whom information was available required hospital treatment, while in two cases the bacteria escaped the gut and entered the bloodstream – a potentially life-threatening complication. 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.