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 | | Saturday, 12 January, 2002, 16:36 GMT 20 hit by salmonella bug  Salmonella food poisoning can prove fatal Twenty people are confirmed to be suffering the effects of salmonella food poisoning following an outbreak in Greater Manchester. Health officials said they had found a "clear link" between the cases and cooked meats bought from a shop in Bolton. The Bacon Joint was voluntarily closed down for a commercial cleansing after the link with the shop was established. A further 39 people were also being treated for the bug but the cause of their illness was not confirmed as salmonella.
Dr Robert Aston, consultant in communicable disease control for Wigan and Bolton Health Authority, said he hoped the worst of the outbreak was over. He said: "There is no way of telling whether we have seen the worst of it. "But you could look at the figures and see there were seven confirmed cases on Thursday and 19 on Friday, which is an increase of two and a half times. "But by Saturday there was just one extra confirmed case. Of course there could be 10 more cases tomorrow but you would hope those figures indicate a slow down." Dr Aston added that none of the cases was thought to be life-threatening. Medical advice He said: "Salmonella poisoning is particularly unpleasant for the victim but we are not aware of any life-threatening cases." Anyone who bought cooked meat from the shop, in the Farnworth area of Bolton, is being urged to dispose of it immediately. The elderly and those with children are being advised to seek medical advice. Salmonella food poisoning is most commonly acquired from meats and dairy products and is particularly dangerous in the young or the elderly. Symptoms, which can last up to three weeks, include diarrhoea, fever, vomiting and severe abdominal pain. | |   See also: Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top England stories now:  Links to more England stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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