Record number of e.coli infections in 2016

Barbeque Photo:Pixabay.com

Record number of e.coli infections in 2016

The number of cases of food poisoning by e. coli has never been higher than in 2016, and the summer months are high season for the infection.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s recent report on food poisoning in Norway shows that the number of food poisons from E. coli bacteria was record high in 2016, according to Dagbladet.

239 Norwegians were affected by the most severe variant of E.coli (EHEC) in 2016. This is an increase from 221 infected the year before, and 151 in 2014.

– We have never registered any higher numbers than we currently have in our surveillance system. That so many last year received the most severe variant of E.coli infection (EHEC), is regrettable, says department director at the Public Health Institute, Line Vold, to the newspaper.

The reason for the increase in the number of E.coli infections is, according to Vold, that the disease has been under-diagnosed. The healthcare system is now better equipped to detect both this bacterium and other parasites and viruses than before.

Re-contamination because of reuse of forks

According to Vold, the summer months are the high season for E.coli infections. Barbequing gets some of the blame for this.

– It’s good that many now know that you should not have raw and grilled meat on the same plate, but for many people forget that they use a fork when they put on raw meat on the grill, and then use the same fork when they take They fried the cutlets off. Then suddenly the meat has been re-contaminated with the bacteria, explains Vold.

She emphasizes that E. coli infections can have very varying severity.

In 10-15 percent of cases, the infection may lead to kidney failure. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, and mortality among these groups is higher than the rest of the population.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today