The analyzes carried out in butchers suspected of being behind the death of a 12 -year -old child and about twenty cases of food poisoning, confirm traces of contamination to bacteria They exhibited chillannounced on Friday, June 27, the prefecture of Aisne.
“In the first results of the analyzes obtained, traces of contamination by the bacteria E. coli have been detected in meats or on the areas of some of the butcheries that have been the subject of investigations ” And were closed preventively, the prefecture reports in a statement.
A new case of poisoning linked to this bacteria has been recorded, the prefecture of Aisne announced on Friday evening, bringing the number of people contaminated to date. “It is a child residing in Ile-de-France who has stayed in recent weeks several times in the Saint-Quentinois”specifies the prefecture in a press release.
Eleven hospitalized people
Since the appearance of the first cases in the agglomeration of Saint-Quentin on June 12, 25 children and an elderly person have been assigned. A teenager, Elise, died on June 16. Eleven people remain hospitalized, details the prefecture.
The investigations to find the origin of the contamination continue. The authorities have closed preventively since last week four halal butchers and two butcher’s rays of supermarkets of the agglomeration of Saint-Quentin. “The results being negative for the butcher’s department of the Intermarché de Gauchy (…), The latter may resume his activity after carrying out the preliminary operations »said the press release.
On June 21, the Saint-Quentin prosecution had opened a preliminary investigation by manslaughter, involuntary injuries, endangering and deception aggravated by the endangerment of human health. The investigations have been entrusted to the Central Office to Combat Environment and Public Health damage, the National Brigade for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Investigations and to the Saint-Quentin police station.
Meat from pre-evently closed shops was served during several events between June 20 and 22: a football tournament in Saint-Quentin (Oise), a mini-basketball festival in Gauchy (Aisne) and a school fair in Etaves-et-Bocquiaux (Aisne). “No case of severe food poisoning among the participants of these events was noted at this time”specifies the prefecture.
