Northern Ireland E. coli Outbreak Nation’s ‘Worst Ever’

By News Desk | October 17, 2012 At least 179 citizens of Northern Ireland are suspected to be infected with E. coli after eating at Flicks Restaurant in Belfast, BBC reports. An official from the Public Health Agency called it the nation's worst E. coli outbreak ever. Thus far, officials have identified 25 laboratory-confirmed cases and 154 suspected cases. Six people have been hospitalized, and officials anticipate more cases to arise in the coming days. According to the official who spoke to BBC, no E. coli outbreak in Northern Ireland has exceeded 20 cases in that past decade. The restaurant was closed on October 11 as health officials launched an investigation into the outbreak's cause. The same restaurant is suspected to have sickened 4 people with E. coli in August, but investigators do not believe there were any ongoing issues during the intervening time. © Food Safety News More Headlines from Foodborne Illness Outbreaks » Tags: E. coli, foodborne illness, Northern Ireland