Two French butchers close after child dies from food poisoning
Two butcher shops in northern France have temporarily closed after a child died from severe food poisoning, said local authorities on Friday.
Eight children have come down with severe food poisoning since June 12 after consuming meat products from the two businesses in the northern city of Saint-Quentin.
Five of them contracted a rare foodborne illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), including a 12-year-old girl who died.
HUS in most cases occurs after someone ingests the Escherichia coli bacteria (E.coli), commonly found in the gut of humans and warm-blooded animals.
It is "impossible at this stage to confirm that the consumption of products from these two establishments is the source of the contamination", local authorities said.
But the children all consumed meat or meat products from these two butchers a few days before symptoms appeared, it said.
Authorities have closed the two shops as a precautionary measure while samples from both stores are tested.
The authorities said they should have the results "early next week" and an investigation has been launched into where the meat came from.
HUS affects between 100 and 165 children in France each year, according to the country's public health agency.
bj/ekf/ah/giv
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Eagle Creek Beach closed to swimmers after test finds elevated levels of E. coli
Indy Parks and Recreation has closed Eagle Creek Beach until further notice after a routine water test found "elevated levels of E. Coli," according to a June 25 social media post from Eagle Creek Park. The beach will be closed for the foreseeable future, but a dozen beaches and pools remain open to the public, as well as 16 splash pads throughout Indianapolis. They might not be a good choice for beating the heat, though, as the National Weather Service predicts several days of thunder that will roll into the area beginning on the evening of June 27. E. coli levels can spike during and immediately after periods of heavy rainfall and high heat. Central Indiana is at the tail end of a heat wave, which may also be responsible for bacterial contamination in Hamilton County waterways earlier this week. On June 25, the Fishers Health Department issued a public health advisory after tests found evidence of E. coli in both the White River and Fall Creek. The presence of E. coli in water is indicative of fecal contamination, which could come from agricultural or sewage runoff. There are many strains of E. coli, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Most are "harmless," the agency says, while some strains can cause serious gastrointestinal illness, urinary tract infections or respiratory problems.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Bacteria can turn plastic waste into a painkiller
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Tylenol could potentially be made greener and cheaper with the help of bacteria. Scientists were able to use a bacterial chemical reaction to convert a plastic water bottle into paracetamol with no environmental strain. This development could alter the way drugs are produced and provide a much-needed solution to the plastic pollution problem. The bacteria Escherichia coli or common in the gut microbiome, can be used to break down plastic into paracetamol, according to a study published in the journal Nature Chemistry. Paracetamol, or acetaminophen, is the main active ingredient in the painkiller Tylenol. It is generally produced using fossil fuels, namely crude oil, which has been known to worsen climate change. But "by merging chemistry and biology in this way for the first time, we can make paracetamol more sustainably and clean up plastic waste from the environment at the same time," said Stephen Wallace, a professor at the University of Edinburgh and the lead author of the study, to The Guardian. The researchers triggered a chemical reaction in known as the Lossen rearrangement that "until now had only been observed in test tubes," said Spanish newspaper El País. The was genetically modified to be able to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in food packaging and bottles, and ultimately produce paracetamol. This process can occur at room temperature and produces no carbon emissions. "It enables, for the first time, a pathway from plastic waste to paracetamol, which is not possible using biology alone, and it's not possible using chemistry alone," Wallace said to Science News. While it will take time before the painkiller can be widely produced using this method, "this could mark part of a broader shift toward more sustainable, biology-based manufacturing practices, both in the pharmaceutical industry and in plastic recycling," El País said. Plastic waste has been known to harm the environment and can pollute waterways and leach chemicals into the ecosystem. Microplastics have also been found almost everywhere on Earth and in our bodies. "I genuinely think this is quite an exciting sort of starting point for plastic waste upcycling," Wallace said. PET plastic "creates more than 350 million tons of waste annually," said a news release about the study. While PET recycling is possible, "existing processes create products that continue to contribute to plastic pollution worldwide." This research could be the solution to the pollution. The study's findings indicate that "PET plastic isn't just waste or a material destined to become more plastic," Wallace said in the release. "It can be transformed by microorganisms into valuable new products, including those with potential for treating disease." This is not the first time bacteria have been used to break down plastic, and it likely will not be the last. However, the ability to create medicine from plastic introduces a fresh area of research. "Based on what we've seen, it's highly likely that many — or even most — bacteria can perform these kinds of transmutations," Wallace said. "This opens up a whole new way of thinking about how we might use microbes as tiny chemical factories."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
French authorities open judicial inquiry into food poisoning of children
A judicial inquiry has been opened alongside a health investigation, into the severe food poisoning cases in northern France since 12 June. This comes after the death of a 12-year-old girl and reports of at least 19 children who fell ill. The prosecutor's office in Saint-Quentin announced on Monday that a preliminary judicial inquiry for involuntary homicide had been opened last week, alongside a health investigation. "This preliminary investigation was opened against unknown persons on charges of involuntary manslaughter, involuntary injury, endangering the lives of others and deception regarding goods presenting a danger to human life," according to a press release from the public prosecutor's office. Authorities in the Aisne department announced that the number of victims had risen to 19 after another child had been admitted to hospital with symptoms of food poisoning. French health chiefs identify E coli as cause of major food poisoning outbreak Eight of these young patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication characterised in particular by acute renal failure, one of whom, a 12-year-old girl, died on 16 June. Currently, six children who contracted HUS are still receiving dialysis, while ten other children have been able to leave the hospital and return home, while receiving "continuous medical monitoring," the prefecture said in a statement. Read more on RFI EnglishRead also:Frozen pizza blamed for deadly E coli infections sweeping FranceFrench brand recalls yoghurts contaminated with E coli bacteriaWoman dies in Bordeaux botulism outbreak linked to sardines
