 There are more than 2,500 different types of salmonella |
Health experts are banding together to trace the source of a rare form of salmonella which has affected dozens of people throughout Britain. In August so far, there have been 39 confirmed cases of salmonella bareilly.
There are 17 confirmed and three suspected cases in Scotland, while 22 have been confirmed in England and Wales, plus three suspected cases.
One elderly woman may even have died as a result of the infection.
Experts believe the fact that cases are appearing throughout Britain means there could be a common source.
Health authorities affected are said to be working together to locate the origin of the bug, but at this stage they do not know whether it is food-borne.
 |  This form of salmonella is rare but no more serious than other types  |
The investigation is being led by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) in collaboration with the The Food Standards Agency.
On Monday it was announced that there had been 31 cases of the rare form of salmonella but this rose by eight on Tuesday after details of the outbreak were revealed.
There are more than 2,500 types of salmonella, and Scotland usually has around 1,500 confirmed cases every year.
Vomiting
This latest outbreak is described as "unusual" in that there were only two cases of salmonella bareilly reported in 2002 and only one during 2001.
Dr John Cowden, chairman of the investigation team, said: "This form of salmonella is rare but no more serious than other types.
"It can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and fever.
"For most people it is an unpleasant rather than a dangerous illness.
| The NHS board areas in Scotland with confirmed cases Lothian (5) Grampian (3) Greater Glasgow (2) Lanarkshire (1) Ayrshire and Arran (1) Fife (1) Tayside (1) |
"Salmonella bareilly may have been a contributory factor in the death of one elderly woman, but all other cases are either fully recovered or are recovering at home.
"We are trying to establish common links between those confirmed cases to try to establish if there is a single source causing this outbreak."
Dr Cowden added: "While we cannot give out any specific advice to the public of how to avoid coming into contact with this type of salmonella, I can advise that salmonella is usually spread by undercooked food or poor hygiene.
"Taking care while preparing food and hand washing are effective defences. Meanwhile, our investigations continue."
Test results from the suspected cases are expected soon.
| NHS regions in England and Wales with confirmed cases North East (2) Yorkshire and Humber (1) East Midlands (2) West Midlands (2) Wales (4) Eastern (1) South West (2) London (1) South East (2) |
Abdominal pain
Salmonella is a rod-shaped bacterium. It takes its name from the discovery of the first strain in 1885 by an American vet, Daniel Salmon.
More than 2,500 varieties have been identified, but the majority of poisonings are caused by just two strains: S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium.
Salmonella lives in the stomach and intestines of humans and animals. It can lead to fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting.
In a small number of cases the condition can become life threatening - especially if the infection spreads to other parts of the body such as the blood or bone.
A Salmonella infection is usually acquired by eating food that has been contaminated by the bacterium. But the infection may also be spread by bodily contact.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 