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ADVERTISEMENTA 12-year-old girl died in a food poisoning outbreak that has sickened about two dozen people in northern France.
The outbreak, which appears to be linked to meat contaminated with the bacteria E. coli, has affected 24 children and one older person in the Saint-Quentin area since June 12. According to the regional health authority, nine patients – including the girl who died – developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause anaemia and kidney damage.
As of Thursday, 10 people were still hospitalised.
Here’s what we know about the outbreak and how to keep yourself safe from E. coli.
How were people infected with E. coli?
French government agencies are investigating the origins of the outbreak. They believe it is linked to six butcher shops that may have sold contaminated meat, the regional government said on Thursday.
Scientists are analysing samples from the butcher shops and patients to confirm where the bacteria came from. They expect to have answers in the coming days.
Although most of the cases involve children, officials do not believe that school meals are to blame.
How is France responding to the outbreak?
The butcher shops under investigation have been temporarily closed, and prosecutors in Saint-Quentin and Paris have launched a legal probe into the outbreak.
French authorities also issued public alerts about events where the shops sold meat in recent days, including a football tournament, a basketball festival, and a school fair.
They advised people who have shopped there since June 1 to throw out any food, clean their refrigerators, and seek medical help if they develop symptoms such as bloody, mucousy diarrhoea.
What are the symptoms of E. coli poisoning?
Most strains of E. coli (Escherichia coli) are harmless, but some produce Shiga toxins that can make people sick, according to France’s food safety agency (ANSES). Most people experience mild diarrhoea and stomach pain and tend to recover within a week.
However, E. coli infection can also cause severe complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which occurs when small blood vessels are damaged and form clots that can hurt the organs.
In 2023, 143 children in France developed HUS, with most cases among toddlers under the age of three, ANSES said.
Symptoms can appear within 10 days of eating contaminated food, and include bloody diarrhoea, fever, vomiting, and stomach pain, cramping, or bloating.
Signs of HUS-induced anaemia or kidney damage include easy bruising, loss of colour, fatigue, unusual bleeding, high blood pressure, and swelling of the legs, feet, or ankles.
Kidney failure can be life-threatening, but most people who receive treatment for E. coli poisoning or HUS will recover.
How can people protect against E. coli infection?
Wash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before and after preparing food.
Thoroughly cook your meat, wash your vegetables, and store and prepare raw foods separately from cooked foods, according to the regional government’s alert.
People should also refrigerate leftovers quickly and reheat them to kill off any bacteria. Meanwhile, children under the age of 5 should not drink raw milk or untreated water, for example, from a stream or well.
