E. coli outbreak which led to child's death declared over
An outbreak of E. coli O157 in Scotland which resulted in the death of a child is now over, according to officials.
The youngster was among 20 confirmed cases which were all identified in July. Health experts are investigating possible links to Dunsyre blue cheese which is made by South Lanarkshire-based Errington Cheese. Of the 20 cases identified, 11 required hospitalisation. In a statement, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said: "There can be no consolation at a time like this for a family in mourning. "FSS has acted as part of a multi-agency team which has not been drawn into the public speculation and debate that the outbreak has generated. "The Incident Management Team (IMT) has focused on investigating the outbreak. Its priority throughout has been public safety, and all its decisions and actions were taken on that basis. "As of 5 September, the IMT has declared this outbreak to be over and the IMT, in accordance with procedure, has now stood down." Errington Cheese said last month that testing had shown it to be "completely clear of E. coli O157". Health Protection Scotland said that epidemiological investigations had "identified Dunsyre Blue cheese as the most likely cause of the outbreak". It added: "Despite extensive investigation, including looking for other possible food sources, no other link to a majority of cases could be established."