First Deaths From E-Coli Outbreak in Lanarkshire, Scotland

Wishaw is a large town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles (24 km) south-east of Glasgow city centre.

The Burgh of Wishaw was formed in 1855 within Lanarkshire. it formed a joint large burgh with its neighbour Motherwell from 1920 until its dissolution when Scottish local authorities were restructured in 1975, and was then in Motherwell district within the Strathclyde region until 1996. The town is part of the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency.

In November 1996, the world’s worst recorded outbreak of E. coli O157 occurred in the town, in which 21 people died and around 496 were infected.

The outbreak of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 infectious intestinal disease occurred in Central Scotland in late November 1996. A total of 496 cases was linked to the outbreak. In all there were 21 deaths of infected persons, although some were not as a direct result of the infection. All of those who died were elderly. The cause of the outbreak was traced to contamination of cooked meat at a butchers.

Investigations revealed very poor food hygiene practices that allowed cross contamina tion between raw and cooked meat. This outbreak illustrates the importance of: Hazard analysis and implementation of control measures; Good management and staff training; Effective enforcement.