A 12-year-old girl has tragically lost her life and seven other children are hospitalized following a food poisoning outbreak in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, northern France. Symptoms began to appear on June 12, leading to emergency admissions in the days that followed. The outbreak has not yet identified a specific source, with health officials investigating possible links to E. coli contamination. The girl succumbed to haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication connected with kidney failure. While five of the eight hospitalized children developed symptoms related to HUS, authorities have ruled out local tap water as a cause and are scrutinizing various food sources. Several butchers are under investigation after being temporarily closed for inspections, and parents are urged to maintain stringent kitchen hygiene.
Health authorities continue to analyze samples to determine the bacterial strain involved as they work to prevent further cases.
Health authorities are actively working to trace the source of the outbreak while parents are recommended to uphold rigorous hygiene practices at home.
