E.coli symptoms are ‘much worse’ in children as experts urgently warn parents | My news from London

The E.coli outbreak is “much more serious” in young children, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, experts say, with the potential to cause life-threatening complications in these groups.

E.coli can be caught by ingesting meat that has not been properly cooked or cold meat, vegetables or salads that are infected with the bacteria. E.coli can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a rare kidney condition that causes the destruction of red blood cells, according to Kidney Research UK.

The rare kidney condition is most common in children under five and the very elderly. Symptoms to look out for include bloody diarrhea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, infrequent urination, loss of appetite, fatigue, swelling and bruising.

READ MORE: E.coli symptoms as food makers recall items amid ‘complex’ outbreak.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Dr Sarah Pitt, a virologist at the University of Brighton, advised: “If you have diarrhoea, just try not to spread it to other people, be very careful about your own health, but also be careful about the people around you, because this disease is much worse in young children, in the elderly, in people who have an underlying condition in their immune system, as we often see with these infectious diseases.”

She urged everyone to keep an eye on others, especially if they know someone suffering from diarrhea. According to Dr. Pitt, based on the data, she believes that people may have consumed the contaminated food during or in the weeks surrounding half term. She noted, “So people might have done things that were a little different, you know, a little out of the ordinary.”

To protect yourself, Dr Pitt recommends returning the recalled sandwiches to the store as advised, thoroughly washing pre-packaged salad, fruit and vegetables, maintaining good hand hygiene and refraining from going to work or visiting elderly relatives or people with small children if you have diarrhea.

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