Health chiefs have urgently warned Britons to adopt safety measures after cases of a dangerous food poisoning bug have reached the highest level in a decade.
New figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show a 17.1 per cent rise in salmonella and campylobacter infections across England between 2023 and 2024.
These infections are usually caught by eating contaminated food such as poultry, meat, eggs, raw fruit and vegetables, as well as unpasteurised milk or cheese.
People can die from salmonella via dehydration or if the bacteria enters the bloodstream, which can lead to sepsis — a life-threatening reaction.
In response to the surge in cases, the health officials have issued key safety measures for businesses and households.
These include lowering the guidance on time and temperature on product labels, and chilling food below 5C.
People should also clean food equipment and surfaces thoroughly and avoid cross-contamination through things like re-usable shopping bags, knives and chopping boards, cloths and work surfaces.
You should also eat food by the ‘use by’ date on the label even if it looks and smells fine, and wash their hands before and after preparing food.
Those most vulnerable such as
More to follow.
