Four people have fallen sick after consuming a type of egg product supplement in the United Kingdom.
Public Health Scotland is leading the probe into a cluster of multidrug resistant Salmonella infections associated with an eggshell membrane food supplement sold online.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), are supporting the investigation.
Several types of Salmonella have been detected in the supplement, including Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Othmarschen, and Salmonella Livingston.
There are two cases in Scotland, one with Salmonella Othmarschen and the other with Salmonella Enteritidis, and two patients in England, both infected by Salmonella Enteritidis.
Resistance to several antibiotics
In July, Orgenism recalled Eggshell Membrane Capsules sold on Amazon because of Salmonella contamination. All batch codes of the capsules in a pack size of 60, 500-mg per serving are affected.
The supplements are mainly taken by people following fitness regimes and by older adults, as they claim to have benefits for joint health and longevity. However, elderly people and those with health conditions face a higher risk of developing severe or invasive salmonellosis.
Laboratory testing indicates a multidrug resistant profile for Salmonella Enteritidis including resistance to third generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, tetracycline, fosfomycin, and colistin. This makes infections harder to treat.
Multiple extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales were also isolated from product samples including E. coli, Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter.
Consumers were told not to put the product in domestic trash or flush capsules down toilets. People should contact their local health protection team for advice on how to dispose of it.
Orgenism asked people not to dispose of capsules in household waste or down the sink. The company is offering free pre-paid return envelopes. Email [email protected] to receive one by post.
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