29 June 2000

Teachers, Scouts & Guides Beware E-coli!

Following an outbreak earlier this month of E-coli poisoning among 18 scouts at a camp in Aberdeenshire, childrens' group leaders are warned about the risks of infection at open farms. A new report out shows that although food remains an important means of human infection, the rural environment plays a greater role as a source of infection than previously thought. The results of a survey into E-coli 0157 were announced at a conference organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in conjunction with the Scottish Executive for Rural Affairs, National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department, the Department for Health and the newly formed Food Standards Agency, in Edinburgh yesterday. It confirms that a high proportion of cases of E-coli are caused by exposure to environmental factors such as gardens, contact with farms, farm animals or farmland contaminated by infected farm animals, water supply failure or paddling in contaminated water. The young and the elderly are most at risk from the disease, with the young being most likely to become seriously ill. New Guidelines to Teachers Greg Bungay, head of the HSE's agriculture sector, told the conference: "As part of our regular review of all our guidance, we have examined our advice regarding visits to open farms closely. "We have strengthened the advice on hand-washing facilities and on the level of supervision necessary for young children. "Although some people have called for a ban on under fives visiting open farms, this was not supported by the vast majority of medical and scientific experts consulted." The new guidance suggests individual supervision by an adult for every child younger than 12 months, with a supervision ratio of one adult for every two children aged between one and two. Details Jim Scudamore, MAFF's Chief Veterinary Officer said: "Since first being identified as a cause of disease in humans in 1982, VTEC O157 [E-coli] has emerged as a significant public health problem. It can cause anything from mild diarrhoea to a life-threatening intestinal condition." "Following much research into the organism, we are beginning to understand it a little better and the conference is an opportunity to consider all the new information together and let the public know what we have found out." "We are looking at the ways in which humans can become infected and the risk factors associated with that, and we will consider the current recommendations for protecting public health." "In the past few years it has been established that animals, particularly cattle, are a source of VTEC O157 [E-coli] for the human population, although the animals themselves rarely become ill. The results of the on-farm and abattoir studies will begin to fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge of the condition in animals." According to the report a substantial percentage of cattle herds contain at least one infected animal (at least 44% of dairy herds in England and Wales have at least one infected animal).