AN increase in E coli cases locally is being put down to the good weather. Health bosses this week revealed there have been more cases of diarrhoea and vomiting than would normally be expected in the summer, including several instances of of E coli gastroenteritis, which can be particularly severe, especially in children and older people.
And they reckon it is due to people spending time out and about in the countryside in the sun.
Public health medicine consultant Dr Nigel Calvert said: “This summer we have seen more cases of diarrhoea than we would normally expect and some of these have been caused by the E coli bug. We always look very carefully to see whether we can see any links between cases and haven’t been able to find any common sources.
“It may be that because of the lovely summer we have been having, people are spending more time in the countryside with their families, and this may have led to people picking up these germs.”
Dr Calvert added: “If you or your child develops sickness and diarrhoea, you can get medical advice through the NHS Inform website www.nhsinform.scot or by calling 111. If symptoms don’t settle, or you are worried, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible, and especially if there is blood in the diarrhoea as this can be a sign of E coli infection.”
