by PNA
An outbreak of salmonella in Britain has claimed the life of one person and infected over 30 others, and a potential link to contaminated watermelon has been identified, said two health agencies on Tuesday.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said in a statement that the outbreak was caused by the bacteria Salmonella Newport, one of various strains of Salmonella. It has infected more than 30 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the beginning of December 2011, and one person has died.
Cases of the illness caused by the same strain have been confirmed in Scotland, Ireland and Germany.
Dr. Bob Adak, head of the gastrointestinal diseases department at the HPA said: "Although it's too soon to say with certainty what the likely cause of infection is, early indications suggest that a number of people became unwell after eating watermelon." "This has also been noted in the cases in Scotland and Germany although further investigation is ongoing."
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said in a statement that it has been notified by HPA about the outbreak and possible source of food contamination.
Alison Gleadle, Director of Food Safety at the FSA, said: "We are monitoring the situation and working closely with the European Commission, other countries, local authorities and the food industry, to investigate further."
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