Outbreak of STEC O157:H7 linked to a milk pasteurisation failure at a dairy farm in England, 2019

Abstract

In November 2019, an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 was detected in South Yorkshire, England. Initial investigations established consumption of milk from a local dairy as a common exposure. A sample of pasteurised milk tested the next day failed the phosphatase test, indicating contamination of the pasteurised milk by unpasteurised (raw) milk. The dairy owner agreed to immediately cease production and initiate a recall. Inspection of the pasteuriser revealed a damaged seal on the flow divert valve. Ultimately, there were 21 confirmed cases linked to the outbreak, of which 11 (52%) were female, and 12/21 (57%) were either <15 or >65 years of age. Twelve (57%) patients were treated in hospital, and three cases developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Although the outbreak strain was not detected in the milk samples, it was detected in faecal samples from the cattle on the farm. Outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease caused by milk pasteurisation failures are rare in the UK. However, such outbreaks are a major public health concern as, unlike unpasteurised milk, pasteurised milk is marketed as ‘safe to drink’ and sold to a larger, and more dispersed, population. The rapid, co-ordinated multi-agency investigation initiated in response to this outbreak undoubtedly prevented further cases.

Lactoferrin's potential application in enhancing yoghurt's microbial and sensory qualities, with emphasis on the starter culture activity

“…Foodborne illness causes economic losses and puts the general public's health at risk (Jenkins et al ., 2022). Consumer awareness of the hazards linked to the use of synthetic chemical preservatives has grown significantly in recent years.…”

“…Despite significant advances in food safety research, foodborne illnesses continue to be one of the major public health concerns that lead to global morbidity and mortality (Jenkins et al ., 2022). Food poisoning and intoxication happen despite the application of several food preservation measures during dairy production processes as a result of microbial growth and their potential toxin production (Gonelimali et al ., 2018; Quinto et al ., 2019).…”

“…Food poisoning and intoxication happen despite the application of several food preservation measures during dairy production processes as a result of microbial growth and their potential toxin production (Gonelimali et al ., 2018; Quinto et al ., 2019). In the United Kingdom, there were an estimated 2.4 million instances of food-borne gastroenteritis in 2018, with 16 300 cases requiring hospitalization and more than 180 deaths (Jenkins et al ., 2022). S. aureus, E. coli, Salmonella species, and B. cereus are the most prevalent microorganisms isolated in the previous studies (Abdel-Salam and Soliman, 2019; Atia et al ., 2020; Adam et al ., 2021; Halim et al ., 2022; Taher et al ., 2022; Nadi et al ., 2023).…”

Genomic analysis of an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O183:H18 in the United Kingdom, 2023

“…Infection is transmitted to humans via direct contact with animals and/or their environment and by consumption of contaminated food and water. Common vehicles in foodborne outbreaks of STEC in the UK include undercooked beef and lamb meat [ 10 11 ], unpasteurised dairy products [ 12 13 ] and fresh produce contaminated by rainwater run-off or irrigation water containing animal excrement [ 14 15 ].…”

Genome engineering of Stx1-and Stx2-converting bacteriophages unveils the virulence of the dairy isolate Escherichia coli O174:H2 strain UC4224

“…Cattle have been recognized as an asymptomatic natural reservoir of STEC, representing a vehicle for human infection through direct contact or via foodstuffs (Zuppi et al, 2020). Recently, STEC outbreaks have been increasingly related to the consumption of dairy products; in Europe, two outbreaks in 2020 and one in 2021 as reported by EFSA-ECDC (EFSA andECDC, 2021, 2022); in 2019, 20 paediatric cases of STEC O26:H11 infections were associated to the consumption of fresh raw milk cheese in France and other 21 cases were related to a milk pasteurisation malfunction at dairy farm level in UK (Jones et al, 2019;Jenkins et al, 2022). These outbreaks, as reported by the data collected in the European Union One-Health (2022) report, demonstrate as raw milk cheese and other dairy products are frequently associated to the presence of STEC (2% of analysed dairy products (EFSA and ECDC, 2022)).…”