Lanarkshire Hospital is linked to a fatal outbreak of listeria in England

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A hospital in Lanarkshire received sandwiches and salads linked to a fatal outbreak of listeriosis.

Five people died in an outbreak in England linked to pre-packaged foods provided to 43 NHS trusts through the right food chain.

NHS Lanarkshire has confirmed that Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride is one of the sites involved.

The commission stated that the products had been withdrawn immediately and that no case of listeriosis had been reported in Scotland.

University Hospital Hairmyres was previously stocked with potentially infected sandwiches and salads.

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British Health Secretary Matt Hancock made a statement Monday in Westminster, confirming the 43 health trusts potentially affected by the outbreak.

To date, nine cases of listeriosis related to the epidemic have been identified in seven English hospitals. Five of the nine patients died.

Listeriosis is the bacterial infection most often caused by listeria.

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• More deaths in the listeriosis epidemic

Dr. John Logan, NHS Lanarkshire Public Health Medicine Consultant, said: "NHS Lanarkshire is working closely with Health Protection Scotland and Food Standards Scotland on the British response to the outbreak of listeriosis associated with certain sandwiches and salads provided by the Good Food Chain of the NHS Trusts in England and a hospital in Scotland – Hairmyres University Hospital in Lanarkshire.

"As soon as we were alerted to the situation in England, we immediately took steps to prevent people from consuming potentially affected sandwiches, by removing the products provided by the Good Food Chain Company."

"The chances are low"

"We also informed clinicians of hospitals and general practitioners of the situation, highlighting the investigations to be undertaken if anyone was to develop symptoms or signs of infection with listeriosis.

"No case of listeriosis related to this outbreak has been identified in Scotland and the risk of listeriosis occurring among residents of Lanarkshire is low."

NHS Lanarkshire stated that people at risk of contracting the infection were Hairmyres patients, all those who went to the hospital canteen and those who ate Good Food Chain sandwiches and salads in April or May or the first five days of June.

Symptoms resemble mild symptoms of gastroenteritis, including short-term illness and diarrhea.

Most cases would not require treatment, but infection in some groups may be of concern.

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Dr. Logan said, "This can have more serious consequences for young infants, the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions, including people with suppressed immune systems, and pregnant women. any of these groups who think they may have eaten Good Food Chain Company products should consult a doctor if they have symptoms of infection. "

Public Health England confirmed last week the death of two patients from the Royal Manchester Infirmary and the death of a patient from Aintree Hospital in Liverpool.

It is unclear where the last two victims were treated.

The first case showed symptoms on April 25 and the sandwiches and salads were removed on May 25, as soon as a link with the cases was suspected.

The good food chain was supplied with meat produced by North Country Cooked Meats, which then tested positive for the infected strain of listeria.

What is listeria?

• Listeria is a bacterium that can cause a type of food poisoning called listeriosis.
• Normally, the symptoms are mild – high temperature, chills, nausea – and disappear after a few days.
• But in this epidemic, cases occurred in people who were already seriously ill hospitalized and who were at greatest risk of serious infection
• Listeria can damage organs, spread to the brain or blood, and be fatal
• In 2017, the numbers show that there were 33 deaths related to listeriosis in England and Wales.
• Many types of food can be contaminated with listeria, such as soft cheeses, refrigerated ready-to-eat foods, such as pre-packaged salads, sandwiches, and sliced ​​meats, as well as products made from unpasteurized milk.
• For this reason, it is advisable for pregnant women to avoid soft cheese.
• To reduce risk, the NHS advises people to keep refrigerated foods in the refrigerator, heat them up until they are hot and do not eat them after their expiration date.