You fit get salmonella from eggs? - All you need know about di bacteria wey don make hundreds of pipo sick

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) don declare national outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis, one type of food poisoning bacteria wey don spread across di kontri.

One pesin don die and hundreds of pipo don fall sick sake of di bacteria.

UKHSA say investigations so far don identify potential links to di bacteria to eggs imported from outside di UK. Evidence no dey say UK-produced eggs dey affected, di agency add.

Evidence show say many pipo catch di salmonella infection wen dem chop food for outside, and no chop food dem cook for dia house.

Places like restaurants, cafés, canteens and takeaway shops fit don play part for di spread of di disease.

But authorities still dey torchlight more about di infection.

Dis na wetin we know and questions wey pipo dey ask.

Wetin be salmonella and how you fit catch am?

Salmonella na family of bacteria wey normally dey live harmlessly for di digestive tract of animals wey include cattle, pigs and chicken - which na why eggs and poultry dey among di foods commonly associated wit di infection.

Salmonella are a family of bacteria that typically live harmlessly in the digestive tract of animals including cattle, pigs and chicken - which is why eggs and poultry are among foods commonly associated with the infection.

Di bacteria dey dey inside animal shit.

You fit catch di bacteria:

E dey rare to see di bacteria pass from one pesin to anoda.

Wetin be di symptoms?

Signs wey you go need to watch out for include; belly pain, diarrhoea, vomit or fever. Dis one dey usually develop between 12 and 72 hours afta pesin don dey infected.

For most cases, pipo dey recover without any help, but older pipo, babies and pipo wey get weak immune system dey suffer pass.

Hospital care wit water and sometimes antibiotics fit help for dis kind cases.

If you dey worried, contact your GP or out of hours service first.

To cook eggs go fit kill salmonella?

Yes, make sure say you cook egg and oda food well-well to prevent infection.

Oda ways wey you fit protect yourself na to wash your hand before you prepare food, afta you use toilet and afta you don touch animals.

For dis current outbreak, most infection dey come from food wey dem no cook well for house.

Di Food Standards Agency don recently issue catering business some advice on how to store and handle egg.

Wia di outbreak dey happun?

Di majority of cases wey don happun recently - 199 of di 207 - na for England, including 47 for London and 38 for Yorkshire and Humber.

Six cases for Scotland, one for Wales, and anoda for Northern Ireland.

Although cases dey spread everywia, scientists use special genetic check wey dem call whole-genome sequencing, wey show say di bugs wey dey involved dey closely related.

Tests show say only small differences dey for dia DNA sequences, wey mean say di infections na part of di same outbreak, wit one common source.

Why imported eggs fit be di most likely source?

Genetic test of di bacteria show say e get similarity wit di previous outbreak wey involve imported eggs.

UKHSA experts question 114 pipo wey dey involved for di current outbreak, and dia answer show say eggs get di 'strongest signal' or clue.

Some 24 cases get link to five businesses (we no go mention), wit 11 pipo wey tok say dem chop food wey contain eggs inside.

Investigation show say di businesses fit dey use eggs from multiple supplier, including imported ones.

For some areas, pipo don dey ask about hygiene practices.

"For now, we no fit link dis matter to UK-made eggs or poultry," UKHSA tok.

Which eggs you go buy?

Jacquelyn McCormick, head of charge of incidents for Food Security Agency, tok say di standard advice no change - egg wey dem cook well and handle properly no suppose get food safety issue.

Infants, small pikin dem, pipo wey dey pregnant and older adults suppose only chop runny or raw eggs if dem get British Lion mark or dem dey produced under Laid in Britain egg assurance scheme.

Pipo wey get weak immune system suppose follow wetin dia doctor tok.

Meanwhile, Dr Kathleen O'Reilly for London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine dey recommend checking out food hygiene ratings wen dem wan choose cafe or restaurant.

How British dey keep eggs safe?

Di vaccination of commercial hens against common salmonella start for mid-1990s for UK.

Anoda quality control measure na di British Lion Scheme wey dem launch for 1998.

Any suppliers of eggs British Lion mark need to follow strict code wey cover vaccinating hens, regular testing and passport system to make sure say hens dey traceable.

Paul Wigley, professor for animal microbial ecosystems for Bristol Veterinary School, tok say betta surveillance and detection don also help.

"However we still dey import large number of eggs and egg products, and salmonella fit dey inside dis becos di countries wia dem dey produce am no get dat same level of control," e add.

Meanwhile, Mark Williams, chairman of di British Egg Industry Council tok say food businesses wey dey import eggs must check dia supply lines for vaccination information and make sure say dem don do all di food safety checks.

Wetin we no know?

Health experts still need to confam if na egg na di source and UKHSA dey continue interview wit pipo wey don catch di bug.

Local authorities go carry out test on businesses wey fit dey involved and dem go carry out some opportunistic testing.

Experts go also need check di whole supply chain, investigate wia dem chop di eggs or egg products, supply, store and farm, for example.

Once dem gada enough information, important step go dey to limit further infections.

Dem go fit trace di exact source and country of origin.

One challenge be say wen business import large number of eggs, dem fit come from mixed sources.

UKHSA don alert oda kontris about dis outbreak so dem go fit check for any genetically similar infections.

And while salmonella infections dey happun every year for di UK, outbreaks wey dey grow dis quick dey unusual, according to DR Gauri Godboleso for di UKHSA.

So scientists go want examine di factors wey lead to dis situation.