Poisonings in Aisne: Two new cases of children, traces of E. coli bacteria in butcher shops

Two new cases of severe food poisoning have been recorded among children in the Saint-Quentin area (Aisne), where these poisonings affected around twenty people and caused the death of one child, the prefecture announced on Saturday, June 28.

"Two new cases of children have been recorded," but these children did not develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication affecting the kidneys. They are being monitored at home , the prefecture said in a statement.

Of the twenty-eight people affected by these severe digestive symptoms since June 12 – 27 children and one elderly person – ten developed this syndrome. An 11-year-old child, Elise, died.

In addition to the two latest cases identified, "seven people remain hospitalized and nineteen have been able to leave the hospital and return home," the prefecture said. "All patients are receiving ongoing medical monitoring."

On Friday, the prefecture announced that analyses carried out in butcher shops suspected of being the source of these poisonings had confirmed traces of contamination by the E. coli bacteria. It recalls that "the first digestive symptoms linked to the presence of the E. coli bacteria can appear within ten days after consumption of the contaminated food."

The prefecture reported three events organized in recent days "during which meat from closed butcher shops was consumed" : a football tournament in Saint-Quentin, a mini-basketball festival in Gauchy and the school fair in Etaves-et-Bocquiaux.

"No cases of severe food poisoning among participants in these events have been reported at this time," she stressed, while urging participants to monitor their health.

The Paris public health unit took over the investigation into the poisonings in Aisne on Wednesday.