Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
13 June 2012 12:43
An outbreak of E. coli is believed to be the cause of 14 illnesses in the USA
Those with ongoing medical conditions are advised to take out pre-existing medical travel insurance before travelling to certain areas of the USA, after an outbreak of E. coli bacteria in the country.
The bacteria was found to have links to 14 illnesses in six states in April and May and three people were taken to hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There were six cases in Georgia, four in Louisiana, two in Alabama and one each in Tennessee, Florida and California, but no type of contaminated food or other reasons for the illnesses have yet been found.
Most kinds of E. coli are harmless, but it is a large family of bacteria and the E. coli O157:H7 strain is thought to be the most dangerous, especially after a large outbreak of the strain in hamburger meat around 20 years ago.
The E. coli O145 strain associated with this latest outbreak is one of six other similar types that are thought to be dangerous.
Stacey Bosch, leader of the investigation into the outbreak for the CDC, said: "These are not newly emerging bacteria. Our awareness of them has been improving."
This strain of E. coli often leaves people sick between two and eight days after taking it in, and is a bigger threat to very young and very old people or those with weak immune systems. Experts believe that these age groups have a greater chance of their blood being poisoned by toxins created by the E. coli which can lead to kidney failure.
13 December 2018
Space tourism could move one giant leap closer this week as Virgin Galactic expects to reach "space altitudes" for the first time.
[more...]
12 December 2018
If you're worried about piling on the pounds this Christmas, regular home weighing could prevent you from excessive festive eating and drinking.
11 December 2018
Airlines that automatically cancel return flights when passengers fail to show for their outbound journeys are being warned they risk breaking consumer law.
08 December 2018
Providing better conditions for disabled passengers is one of the main aims of a proposed new charter for airlines and airports.
07 December 2018
Women who don't attend cervical screenings should be offered testing kits they can use at home, new research suggests.
06 December 2018
Ryanair could be slapped with enforcement action from the airline regulator after it refused compensation for passengers hit by flight disruption caused by staff taking strike action.
05 December 2018
Protein supplements and muscle training could be the most effective ways to delay or reverse the effects of frailty, a new study suggests.
04 December 2018
Mumford and Sons bassist Ted Dwane has helped create a new exhibition to raise awareness of the loneliness felt by people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
01 December 2018
A leading charity has praised the actions of Lloyd Russell-Moyle, saying the Labour MP had "done everybody a service" by disclosing his HIV status.
30 November 2018
Sweating out the daily stresses in a sauna could be linked to a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in people aged 50 and over, according to a new study.
29 November 2018
Hitting the Copacabana could soon become a more realistic aim for holidaymakers, with Norwegian set to become the first budget airline to operate UK-Brazil flights.
28 November 2018
Holidaymakers on the UK's proposed new high-speed trainline could have their Amazon packages delivered directly to their seat, according to a train manufacturer.