Cases of deadly E.coli more than double after new strain emerges

Health officials in Scotland are investigating a significant rise in cases of the most serious form of the E.coli infection.

Figures from Health Protection Scotland (HPS) showed that 55 cases of E.coli O157 were reported in the first quarter of the year.

This compares to 14 for the same period last year and is more than double the average of 25 for this time of year over the last decade.

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More than half of the cases reported at the start of 2011 were found to be a new strain of the infection, prompting health experts to investigate.

But HPS said they had so far not been informed of any deaths linked to the reported cases.

In the past, outbreaks of E.coli O157 have led to fatalities, including the Wishaw outbreak in 1996 when 21 people died.

The infection can be spread through contaminated food and also through contact with infected animals and land, as the bacteria can live in the guts of cattle.

The HPS report said that 32 of the 55 E.coli O157 cases seen at the start of 2011 were an unusual subtype of a form of the infection known as phage type 8 (PT8), which has previously been reported in other parts of the UK.

John Cowden, consultant epidemiologist at HPS, said they were investigating the rise but had so far not found links between the cases of this new type to suggest they came from the same source. One possible explanation for the different types of E.coli O157 emerging in Scotland could be the extreme winter weather at the start of 2011.

The report said: "The unusually severe weather conditions in the UK during winter 2010-11 could, for instance, have influenced the spread or survival of particular strains in food, water, or environmental sources."

The infections also seem to be having less of an impact in children. Under-16s would usually account for around 39 per cent of all cases, but at the start of 2011 they only accounted for 24 per cent of the total.

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Dr Cowden said: "These numbers are not cause for panic. It is a significant increase and we are looking at it very hard.

"We investigate all our cases in a lot of depth anyway, but every case that occurs here is being looked at in even more detail to see if we can come up with anything that might link them.

"At the moment nothing does, but our investigations are continuing."

He added: "It is an opportunity to remind people of the general measures they can take to avoid infection. As always we recommend adequate home and personal hygiene to reduce infection and cross-transmission risks."In the most serious cases, E.coli O157 can cause haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), which is associated with kidney failure, anaemia and bleeding.

Ishbel Mackinnon, of Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome Help (HUSH), said the rising number of cases in Scotland was a concern and checks needed to continue to be made on possible sources of infection.

"At this time of cutbacks, it is worrying that inspections on open farms could be cut back, and that is something that we are worried about," she said.

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