One person has died and hundreds of others have been affected by a salmonella outbreak in the UK, health officials have said.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the food poisoning outbreak “may be linked to eggs imported from outside the UK”.
Babies and people as old as 90 have been affected, it added.
Symptoms of salmonella typically start 12 to 72 hours after infection Credit: iStock
Salmonella generally causes a self-limiting gastroenteritis, with symptoms including stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting, or fever.
More than a third of people affected in the outbreak, 38%, were admitted to hospital, with two people developing potentially life-threatening bloodstream infections.
UKHSA said between August 11 last year and August 1 this year, 207 cases have been confirmed: 199 in England, six in Scotland, one in Wales, and one in Northern Ireland.
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London, where 47 cases were confirmed, and Yorkshire and Humber (38) were the most affected regions.
Hannah Charles, lead epidemiologist for gastrointestinal infections at UKHSA, said they were working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and other public health agencies to investigate the outbreak.
Jacquelyn McCormick, head of incidents at the FSA, said the exact cause has not yet been identified.
She added that investigations so far have identified links to eggs imported from outside the UK, mainly used by food service and catering establishments such as restaurants or cafes, as a potential source.
“There is no evidence that UK-produced eggs are affected,” she said.
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