The acute threat that the E coli 0157 bacterium poses to many vulnerable elements within Irish society cannot be over-emphasised, particularly with the sharp rise in confirmed cases that has occurred over the past three years. The toll it has taken in Scotland, with 21 deaths from a single outbreak in 1996, means there are no grounds for any complacency with this new bacterial strain, which contrasts so starkly with its relatively harmless relatives. With 76 confirmed cases last year the occurrence pattern of the disease in the Republic is ominously following that of Scotland; there was were just eight Irish cases in 1996.
Given the range of control measures spelt out in the report published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland today and considered to be urgently required, it is clear that the Republic has been riding its luck for some time when it comes to E coli 0157.
As this microbial strain can cause such havoc with a very low infectious dose, compared to other food poisoning organisms, effective controls are paramount. This is especially so in the case of the old, the very young and those with compromised immune systems.
The lack of sufficient research on its occurrence and mode of transmission and the inability of the public health services to detect its presence quickly once an outbreak occurs are gaps that need to plugged rapidly by the Department of Health, which has ultimate responsibility for food safety. The fact that cases occurred last year where the source of infection was not detected should sound ample warning of the need to rapidly improve trace-ability of infection systems.
One in 10 cattle in the UK routinely have E coli 0157. Dairy and beef cattle represent the single biggest reservoir of the bacterium. There is an urgent need to establish the exact levels occurring in Irish cattle. As the FSAI chief executive, Dr Patrick Wall, has previously warned, with his usual directness, there is nothing to suggest that an English cow is radically different from an Irish cow. It has to be noted, nonetheless, that the agricultural research body Teagasc has done some important work on how this notorious bug is spread in the food chain, particularly at the stage of slaughter in the abattoir and in the initial phases of meat processing.
While the report acknowledges the importance of the primary producer, it rightly finds there is only so much a farmer can do, and meticulous care has to be taken further down the food supply chain, and closer to the ultimate consumer. The successful introduction scheme whereby farmers have to ensure cattle are as clean as possible immediately prior to slaughter indicates their willingness to reduce risk.
But the food processor, distributor, retailer and caterer - not to mention the food handler in the home - have specific demands placed on them which are unambiguously articulated in the FSAI report. The outcome of the FSAI work means a preventative strategy can be put in place before any disaster occurs, unlike the Pennington Report in Britain which had to pick up the pieces after an appalling public health scandal resulting from a climate that allowed slipshod hygiene practices to persist.