UK: Hepatitis E warning from “supermarket X” sausages and ham

21 Aug 2017 --- Hot on the heels of the fipronil egg scandal, another food controversy has hit the UK as public health officials say one leading British supermarket has sold sausages believed to be contaminated with the hepatitis E virus. According to government agency Public Health England, researchers discovered that some people infected with the virus have been eating own-brand sausages from a retailer, known as “Supermarket X.”

The scientists were trying to find a link between 60 people with HEV and found that they had all eaten the unnamed supermarket’s brand of sausages and sliced ham. 

This has been reported in the UK press, including in The Times, The Independent and Daily Mail, over the weekend, leading to further interest from international media.

FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with PHE this morning for clarification and was told it is working on an up to date statement, which is expected within the next few hours.

It is understood the research was carried out between 2014 and 2016. Why it has only just come to light now, remains unclear at this stage. 

According to the media reports, the study estimated imported pork infects 150,000 to 200,000 people a year with HEV in the UK.

Symptoms of Hepatitis E can vary from mild symptoms like tiredness to vomiting and in more serious cases, it can lead to liver and brain damage. However, this is much rarer. It is also particularly dangerous for pregnant women and people with a suppressed immune system. 

One of the authors of the PHE study, Professor Tedder told the Sunday Times: 'Something appears to have changed in animal husbandry so too many pigs are infected at slaughter. This is a problem for meat producers and all retailers, not just one.”

Key facts, according to WHO  

• Hepatitis E is a liver disease caused by infection with a virus known as hepatitis E virus (HEV).
• Every year, there are an estimated 20 million HEV infections worldwide, leading to an estimated 3.3 million symptomatic cases of hepatitis E.
• WHO estimates that hepatitis E caused approximately 44,000 deaths in 2015 (accounting for 3.3 percent of the mortality due to viral hepatitis).
• The virus is transmitted via the faecal-oral route, principally via contaminated water.
• Hepatitis E is found worldwide, but the prevalence is highest in East and South Asia.
• A vaccine to prevent hepatitis E virus infection has been developed and is licensed in China, but is not yet available elsewhere.