Beware the burger – you may not ‘relish’ the consequences of E-Coli 0157

Those of you that have so little to do that you regularly read my blogs will have noticed that many relate to illness outbreaks at foreign hotels affecting British holidaymakers. In the vast majority of cases these outbreaks occur due to a failure of hygiene procedures and increasingly, poorly prepared or undercooked food.  I hear lots of our clients complain that food is served to them, whilst on holiday, either lukewarm or not cooked through and as a result they have become unwell.  I am seeing more and more confirmed cases of Salmonella, E-Coli, Shigella, Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium from returning holidaymakers.

This article that I read over the weekend appeared in the New York Times and gives an eye opening account as to the journey processed meat products can sometimes take to get to the consumer and the dire consequences that befell one particular lady by eating an undercooked burger (albeit cooked at home by her mother) that was found to be contaminated with E-Coli.

Another most informative article on the subject can be found here.  This article provides excellent advice on how to avoid illness and confirms that the bug can be killed by making sure food is cooked properly.

The virulent strain, E-Coli 0157 has recently hit the headlines in a different set of circumstances with the various outbreaks at ‘petting’ farms around the UK.  One such case is documented in the Sunday Times this week and focuses on a 5 year old girl who was taken very seriously ill.  We are receiving many enquiries regarding these outbreaks and would be interested to hear from anyone that has been affected.

Call our travel litigation solicitors on 0800 0384 384 during business hours and a specialist holiday accident, holiday illness or holiday sickness claim solicitor can review your compensation claim for free while you are on the phone. If you prefer you can contact us by e-mail.