An outbreak of E.coli that has been linked to mixed leaves and rocket is currently under investigation by public health officials.
Public Health England (PHE) said that to date it has identified 109 cases of the illness, with 102 in England, six in Wales and one in Scotland. The south west of England has been particularly affected.
No data on the origin of the salad or place of purchase has been released, but PHE is urging the public to maintain good hygiene and food preparation practices.
“Currently, the source of the outbreak is not confirmed and this remains under investigation. However, our preliminary investigations have indicated that several of the affected individuals ate salad items including rocket prior to becoming unwell. At this stage we are not ruling out other food items as a potential source,'said PHE’s field epidemiology service director, Dr Isabel Oliver.
“PHE has put in place heightened surveillance for this strain of E. coli and is carefully monitoring the reporting of cases across the entire country.
“To assist with this investigation to help us find the source, we have convened a national outbreak control team who will also ensure all necessary control measures are put in place.'
PHE also said people should remove any loose soil before storing vegetables and thoroughly wash all vegetables, including salads, unless specifically labelled ‘ready to eat’.
The E. coli infection, identified as the O157 strain,can cause a range of symptoms from diarrhoea to severe abdominal pain. On rare occasions, it can also cause more serious medical conditions and can be caught by eating contaminated food or by direct contact with animals with the bacteria. It can be passed from an infected individual to another person if hand and toilet hygiene is poor.
