More than a dozen people have fallen ill in Ireland, with more cases recorded in Iceland in two separate E. coli outbreaks.
The Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC) in Ireland reported that the community outbreak includes 13 laboratory-confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7. No cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or deaths were noted.
An incident management team has been established in which all relevant stakeholders are represented. Research is ongoing, but the source is believed to be food.
No other European country has yet reported cases of the outbreak.
At a recent board meeting, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said it had been a “busy” period with the number of outbreaks it was involved in.
However, this was expected given advances in Whole Genome Sequencing and the ability to link human diseases to food establishments through food or environmental samples taken at specific locations.
In the first quarter of 2024, Ireland recorded 116 STEC infections. From April to June, 262 cases of E. coli were reported, including 12 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). At least one of these was caused by consuming a soft cheese made with raw milk.
In the second quarter of 2024 there were 17 outbreaks, with 60 sick people. The number of patients in each incident ranged from two to eighteen.
Iceland update
Meanwhile, the number of sick children in an E. coli outbreak in Iceland has risen from 10 to 23.
The affected children are from Mánagarði kindergarten in Reykjavík’s Vesturbær district. More than 100 children visit the center.
Landlaeknir (the Public Health Directorate) said the origin of the infections has not been confirmed, but they are believed to be food-related.
A total of 27 children are currently being examined in hospital. Two are in intensive care.
The preschool is temporarily closed while the incident is investigated.
PCR tests have been used to detect infections, but confirmatory bacterial culture results are still pending. No samples have yet been received from employees.
A research team includes epidemiologists, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST), Matis, a government-owned research agency, and the Reykjavík Public Health Authority.
In 2023, 14 people in Iceland were diagnosed with a confirmed or possible E. coli infection. These were two children aged 1 and 11 years and 12 adults aged 22 to 86 years.
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