Media Release

Ecoli update -13.00 hours, 14 October 2005

Update by the Outbreak Control Team (Officers of the Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly and Bridgend Local Authorities, the Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Health Board, the Food Standards Agency and the National Public Health Service of Wales)

New cases

At 10.00 hours today, 161 cases compatible with E coli O157 infection have been identified.  This is unchanged from yesterday.

We have seen no primary cases in school children (where attendance at school has provided the source of the infection) for the last 16 days. All new infections since then have been secondary infections (where someone has caught the infection from someone else – usually a member of the same family) or adults in whom we are eliminating E coli as the cause of their bloody diarrhoea.

There are a total of 42 schools where exposure to the source has apparently resulted in infection.

Control measures

Control measures remain in place.

Thorough hand washing before eating or preparing food and after using the toilet; and daily disinfectant of toilets are important ways of stopping the spread of infection from person to person.

Communications

The Help Line number is 029 2040 2520. It is open 9am – 5pm.

The Outbreak Control Team consists of the following organisations:

ENDS

For further information, please contact Chris Lines on 07866 634077.

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