Plymouth

  • Woman, 64, almost killed by Plymouth E. coli outbreak

    Posted: December 28th, 2011 - 2:04pm by Doug Powell

    Joan Hunt, 64, of Brixton, spent three weeks in hospital and needed treatment in intensive care after being infected with E. coli O157 in a UK outbreak linked to crab meat – or its preparation.

    She has been left with only 35 per cent kidney function after developing the potentially deadly complication HUS.

    Hunt recently told her story to the Plymouth Herald to raise awareness of symptoms and thank the hospital team who saved her life.

    She is recovering after becoming dangerously ill in August – the month of a reported Plymouth E. coli outbreak believed to be linked to crab meat.

    Joan does not know the source of her poisoning as she had not eaten crab. None of her family became sick.

    "I felt I was going to die. I wasn't in control of my body, my body was controlling me. It was frightening.”

    As reported in The Herald earlier this month, there is an ongoing investigation into an E. coli outbreak in Plymouth with a possible link to an unapproved crab supplier.

    Investigators took action after nine cases emerged in August. There have been no further reports of illness linked to crab since.

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    E. coli  |  0 Comments
    crab, e. coli O157, food safety, plymouth, Uk
  • Cookie dough and crabs: 9 sick with E. coli O157 in Plymouth 'linked to crab meat'

    Posted: December 12th, 2011 - 5:21am by Doug Powell

    krusty.krab_.spongebob.jpg

    In yet another example of prompt public alerts by UK health types, nine people were sickened with E. coli O157 in Plymouth in August and it’s now being made public (see E. coli O157 linked to leeks sickens 250 and kills 1 in UK; 8-month outbreak only now being made public).

    A 3-month delay is, sortof, an improvement on an 8-month delay in public notification.

    The Plymouth Herald reports this morning that environmental health officers and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) launched an inquiry after nine cases were confirmed in the city – in August.

    It is believed to be the first reported outbreak of the E.coli O157 strain associated with the consumption of crab meat.

    The investigation is continuing but there is a suspected link with an unapproved crab supplier.

    Investigators revealed they took action after nine cases emerged in August. There have been no further reports of illness linked to crab since.

    The South West HPA and Plymouth City Council said in a joint statement: "A wider investigation is still ongoing following on from the outbreak, so we are not in a position to give full details but we suspect a link to an unapproved crab supplier.

    "Environmental health officers from the council acted swiftly to identify crab meat as a possible source and removed all potentially affected crab meat from food establishments as a precautionary measure.

    "The team worked closely with the SW (North) Health Protection Unit to investigate the cases and ensure that GPs in Plymouth and beyond were aware of the issue, if anyone presented with symptoms."

    The team also alerted food outlets in the city about the importance of only buying food or ingredients from approved or registered suppliers.

    A study into the outbreak showed a 'statistically significant' association between cases and the consumption of crab meat away from home.

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    crab, crab meat, e. coli O157, food safety, krusty krab, plymouth, Spongebob, Uk
  • ‘At least you didn’t eat all of it’ UK takeaway serves pizza with poison mouse droppings

    Posted: November 19th, 2011 - 10:34am by Doug Powell

    The owner of a Plymouth, U.K. takeaway has been banned for life from serving food to the public after admitting selling a pizza contaminated with poisoned mouse droppings.

    Judge Paul Darlow told Pervez Alvi (right, Plymouth Herald), "I would dearly like to hit you in the pocket" after hearing that investigating the case had cost Plymouth City Council more than £5,400.

    But he imposed what he called "token costs" of £500 because of the "terrible" state of Alvi's finances.

    Prosecutor Julia Cox told Plymouth Crown Court that on March 20, 2010, a woman bought a pizza from Favourite Pizza as a treat for her son, who had just come out of hospital.

    But as they ate it, they noticed "a strange chemical taste", which turned out to be caused by mouse droppings containing rodent poison.

    The woman phoned the shop and Alvi called to see her, commenting: "At least you didn't eat all of it."

    He offered her £30 for the return of the pizza, but she refused and called Environmental Health.

    Blue-green pellet-shaped objects in the pizza base were found to be mouse-droppings.
    Inspectors attended the premises and immediately found mouse excrement in many areas, including on packaging materials and baking trays.

    They also found gnawed cardboard and a hole in the skirting, while paperwork was incomplete.

    He was told to clean and disinfect the premises and employ a pest controller, and next day things had greatly improved.

    But a later visit found cracked tiles, a dirty hob and floor, and more mouse droppings under stainless-steel food-preparation surfaces and near a food chiller.

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    Restaurant Inspection  |  0 Comments
    food safety, mouse droppings, Pervez Alvi, Pizza, plymouth