Deadly E coli bug to hit our shores

TWO senior medical specialists have warned that the mystery E coli bug, which has caused 18 deaths and spread to 11 European countries and the US, will almost certainly turn up in Ireland.

The country already has the highest infection rate in the EU from a similar E coli bacteria, mainly from sewage-infected drinking water, farm animals and unhygienic crèches.

Dr Eleanor McNamara, consultant microbiologist and director of the HSE’s public health laboratory, said it was “probably inevitable” that there would be some cases of the virulent E coli strain in the Republic, given the large number of people who travel between Ireland and Germany.

The health authorities are holding daily meetings to monitor the situation and are also in regular contact with the outbreak control team in Germany. The Department of Health’s chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, advised people travelling to Germany to take basic precautions and anybody returning suffering with bloody diarrhoea to seek medical attention.

Dr Brian O’Connell, consultant microbiologist at St James’s Hospital, Dublin, said anybody who became infected in Germany could transmit it to others inIreland, but he did not expect the numbers would be high. On the other hand, if the bacteria entered the food chain here, there could be a large number of cases, he said.

The source of the contamination in northern Germany has still not been found but 1,733 people have been infected and at least 520 are suffering from the life-threatening hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Ninety cases have been reported in other countries.

Dr O’Connell, who also works in the public health laboratory, said for the past few years Ireland has had a very high incidence of anE coli infection that is similar to the German type.

In 2009, there were 238 confirmed cases, seven times more than the EU average and proportionately more than double the numbers infected in Germany with the latest bug. “The incidence is very high and we need to look at reducing it,” said Dr O’Connell, who highlighted the need for greater emphasis on hygiene, especially washing hands before preparing and eating food and after using the toilet.

While many of the cases were spread among children in crèches and those who have visited farms, a big number of reported cases pinpointed water from private wells and group water schemes as the culprit.

Picture: Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Children