Failure to have identified “a particular source of contamination”, the health authorities recommend handwashing, which must be systematic in cooking, and cooking with meat.
By (with AFP)
Respect hygiene measures in cooking while waiting to know more. A resurgence of serious cases of contamination to the Escherichia coli bacterium caused the death of two children in France since the beginning of the year, announced on Saturday, March 12 the health authorities, which have not yet identified the source of contamination .
As of March 11, 2022, 26 cases of hemolytic and uremic syndrome (Shu) “related to E. coli bacteria with similar characteristics have been identified” in children aged 1 to 15, and “two children deceased” , said Public Health France in a statement. The agency, which had expressed the first case at the end of February, does not give other precision on these deaths.
The 26 cases identified “have occurred in nine regions of metropolitan France: New-Aquitaine (6 cases), Hauts-de-France (5 cases), Ile-de-France (4 cases), Pays de la Loire ( 4 cases), Brittany (3 cases), Burgundy-Franche-Comté (1 case), Grand East (1 case), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (1 case) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (1 case) “, and” 22 additional cases are being investigated “, specifies the press release.
General recommendations for risk prevention
Public health France, the National Reference Center of Escherichia Coli (which is part of the Pasteur Institute), the Directorate General of Food and the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Repression , in coordination with the Directorate General of Health, “pursue the investigations of all the cases of Pediatric Shu reported since 1 January 2022 on the national territory to identify a possible source of common contamination and to set up the Appropriate measures “, as the withdrawal of potential contaminated products, is it explained in the statement.
But, “at this point, epidemiological investigation did not allow to incriminate a source of particular contamination”, so “the health authorities renew the general recommendations for the prevention of food risks, particularly among the children under 16 “, but also in the elderly.
Among these recommendations: the washing of the hands must be systematic before the preparation of the meals; Meat, especially the chopped meat of beef, must be well cooked with heart and raw milk, raw milk cheeses and dairy products made from raw milk should not be eaten by children under 5 years.
The recommendations also relate to flour preparations (pizza / cookies / cookies / cake / tart …), which should not be consumed raw or little cooked. Vegetables, salads, fruits, herbs must be thoroughly washed before consumption; Cooking utensils (especially when they were in advance with raw foods) and work plans must also be carefully washed.
In addition, children should not drink untreated water (well water, torrent, etc.) and the smallest (less than 5 years) must avoid contact with cows, calves, sheep, goats , suede, etc., and their environment. In case of contact with these animals, the washing of the hands must be systematic, recalls public health france.
Every year, about 160 children are affected by Shu
Finally, the raw foods must be kept separately from cooked or ready-to-eat foods, and the food dishes and food remains need to be quickly refrigerated, sufficiently warmed and consumed quickly.
In the child, the SHU is most often caused by an infection with a bacterium belonging to the family of E. coli, which manifests between three and ten days after the contamination by diarrhea often accompanied by blood, Abdominal pain and sometimes vomiting, which can evolve after about a week to a severe form in about 10% of cases.
Each year, approximately 160 children with SHU are reported to Public Health France, which has set up a monitoring system (pediatric nephrology services) from this disease since 1996.