E.coli investigation comes to a close

The joint E. coli O157 investigation by NHS Orkney and Orkney Islands Council has ended.

The team identified a total of four cases as having the E. coli O157 infection; three of whom had no symptoms and were identified through the team’s rigorous screening.

Dr Louise Wilson, Director of Public Health, NHS Orkney said: “E. coli infections can be linked to food, or the environment, or both, and our joint investigation has looked at every aspect of these.

“We are very grateful to everyone with whom we spoke, for their time and assistance, and I thank all the professionals who supported the investigation.

“We have found no common exposure linking all the cases.

“The investigation team have worked hard to identify where the infection came from and how people became infected, but have not been able to establish those with certainty, this is not unusual in an E. coli investigation.”

Dr Wilson called on everyone to keep up the very best hygiene standards.

“We can and should all play our part in infection prevention, keeping the bugs at bay and protecting our health.

“There is no need to guess how to look after hand hygiene or how to prepare and cook food safely, because the free information is available, as is guidance on contact with animals and the environment.

“I urge everyone to make sure they know what to do.”