16 June 2023 at 09:02 Norwegian Food Authority: Six infected in outbreak of E. coli – unknown source of infection Six people have been found to be infected by the gastrointestinal bacterium E. coli. The outbreak has been going on for some time, but the source of infection is currently unknown. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority states that they have been informed about the outbreak by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI). Both the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, FHI, the Veterinary Institute and the municipality’s chief medical officer are now working together to investigate the outbreak. It is currently unknown what the source of infection is, but it is common for gastrointestinal bacteria to become infected through food, writes the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. – The Institute of Public Health has discovered a national outbreak of the gastrointestinal bacterium EHEC. Infection has been detected in 6 people, living in different parts of the country. The outbreak has passed over time and the source of infection is currently unknown, writes FHI. FHI writes that two of the six people fell ill in October and November 2022, while the remaining four people fell ill in February, March and May this year. – None of them has developed a serious illness. They are between the ages of 14 and 49, and five of them are men, they say. E. coli is an intestinal bacterium that occurs naturally in the intestines of animals and humans. The bacteria are usually harmless, but some varieties of E. coli have properties that mean they can cause illness, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority writes. (news/NTB)
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