Three hospital patients have died in an outbreak of listeria linked to pre-packed sandwiches.

Public Health England (PHE) said the victims were among six patients affected in England and the deaths occurred in Manchester and Liverpool.

Two of the victims were at Manchester Royal Infirmary, with the other a patient at Aintree Hospital.

Sandwiches and salads from The Good Food Chain linked to the outbreak have been withdrawn and production ceased.

PHE said the sandwiches and salads affected are no longer being produced while investigations continue.

It added the products were withdrawn from hospitals when the links to the infections were first identified.

A spokesperson for the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said it offered its "deepest condolences to the bereaved families" and "sincerely regret" that two of their seriously ill patients contracted listeria.

"Although the risk of infection was extremely small, as soon as the Trust was informed of the findings of PHE's investigation, a decision was made to remove the sandwiches that may have been affected from the patient menu as a precautionary measure, and an alternative supplier was established," the spokesperson said.

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director at the National Infection Service at PHE said: "To date, there have been no associated cases identified outside healthcare organisations, and any risk to the public is low."

PHE said The Good Food Chain, based in Staffordshire, had been supplied with meat produced by North Country Cooked Meats which subsequently produced a positive test result for the outbreak strain of listeria.

This business and North Country Quality Foods, who they distribute through, have also voluntarily ceased production.

The BBC has contacted The Good Food Chain and North Country Quality Foods for comment. </s> Three hospital patients have died after a listeria outbreak from pre-packaged sandwiches, according to Public Health England.

Sandwiches and salads linked to the cases have been withdrawn and the supplier, The Good Food Chain has ceased production while an investigation begins.

The cases of the listeria infections were in six seriously ill patients at two hospitals - Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Three of those patients have sadly died.

The Good Food Chain had been supplied with meat produced by North Country Cooked Meats which subsequently produced a positive test result for the outbreak strain of listeria.

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North Country Cooked Meats and North Country Quality Foods who they distribute through, have also voluntarily ceased production.

Dr Nick Phin, Deputy Director at the National Infection Service at Public Health England said: "Our thoughts are with the families of those patients who have died.

"We, along with the FSA, colleagues in local authorities and the NHS have worked quickly to determine the likely cause of this outbreak and taken action to reduce the risk to the public’s health.

"To date, there have been no associated cases identified outside healthcare organisations, and any risk to the public is low."

Dr Colin Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer at the FSA said: "Our sympathies are with the families of those patients who have tragically passed away.

"We have taken action along with local authorities to minimise the risk based on the evidence so far. The FSA will continue to investigate how the outbreak occurred and if further steps are required to protect vulnerable groups."

Listeria is a bacteria infection that can often go unnoticed or present only mild symptoms in most cases.

However, the infection can be more serious or even fatal in some circumstances, spreading to the blood stream or brain.

The sandwiches and salads affected are no longer being produced while investigations continue and the affected products were withdrawn from hospitals when the links to the listeria infections were first identified.

On The Good Food Chain's website, they state: "Whole Lotta Good' is brought to you by The Good Food Chain. For over 20 years we have supplied prestigious Universities, Business & Industry and Sporting Venues in the UK.

"Our customers enjoy quality products at the right price. They have peace of mind that all our products are lovingly hand prepared in a safe environment, as you would in your own kitchen."

We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. </s> Three hospital patients have died in an outbreak of listeria linked to pre-packed sandwiches.

Public Health England (PHE) said the victims were among six patients affected in England and the deaths occurred in Manchester and Liverpool.

Two of the victims were at Manchester Royal Infirmary, with the other a patient at Aintree Hospital.

Sandwiches and salads from The Good Food Chain linked to the outbreak have been withdrawn and production ceased.

PHE said the products were withdrawn from hospitals when the links to the infections were first identified.

A spokesperson for the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said it offered its "deepest condolences to the bereaved families" and "sincerely regret" that two of their seriously ill patients contracted listeria.

The trust, which would not say when the deaths occurred, said the sandwiches were from the patient menu.

Aintree Hospital said: "Public health experts advised us of this supply chain issue on Friday 24 May and we immediately removed all products from this supplier."

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director at the National Infection Service at PHE said: "To date, there have been no associated cases identified outside healthcare organisations, and any risk to the public is low."

PHE said The Good Food Chain, based in Staffordshire, had been supplied with meat produced by North Country Cooked Meats which subsequently produced a positive test result for the outbreak strain of listeria.

This business and North Country Quality Foods, who it distributes through, have also voluntarily ceased production.

The BBC has contacted The Good Food Chain and North Country Quality Foods for comment.

Listeria is a bacteria which can cause a type of food poisoning called listeriosis.

Normally, the symptoms are mild - a high temperature, chills, feeling sick - and go away on their own after a few days.

But these cases occurred in people who were seriously ill.

Along with pregnant women, newborn babies and the elderly, they are most at risk of a more serious infection which can spread to the brain or blood stream.

In 2017 there were 33 deaths linked to listeriosis in England and Wales.

Listeria can be found in many types of food such as soft cheeses, chilled ready-to-eat foods like pre-packed salads, sandwiches and sliced meats, and unpasteurised milk products.

To reduce your risk, the NHS advises people keep chilled food in the fridge, heat food until it's piping hot and not use food after its use by date. </s> Image copyright Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Image caption Two deaths occurred at Manchester Royal Infirmary

Three hospital patients have died in an outbreak of listeria linked to pre-packed sandwiches.

Public Health England (PHE) said the victims were among six patients affected in England and the deaths occurred in Manchester and Liverpool.

Two of the victims were at Manchester Royal Infirmary, with the other a patient at Aintree Hospital.

Sandwiches and salads from The Good Food Chain linked to the outbreak have been withdrawn and production stopped.

PHE said the products were withdrawn from hospitals when the links to the infections were first identified.

A spokesperson for the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said it offered its "deepest condolences to the bereaved families" and "sincerely regret" that two of their seriously ill patients contracted listeria.

The trust, which would not say when the deaths happened, said the sandwiches were from the patient menu.

The first patient showed symptoms on 25 April while the most recent case was reported on 15 May, a PHE spokeswoman said.

Aintree Hospital said: "Public health experts advised us of this supply chain issue on Friday 24 May and we immediately removed all products from this supplier."

Image copyright Google Image caption A patient at Aintree Hospital also died

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director at the National Infection Service at PHE said: "To date, there have been no associated cases identified outside healthcare organisations, and any risk to the public is low."

PHE said The Good Food Chain - which supplied 43 NHS trusts across the UK - had been supplied with meat produced by North Country Cooked Meats which subsequently produced a positive test result for the outbreak strain of listeria.

This business and North Country Quality Foods, which it distributes through, have also voluntarily ceased production.

A spokesman for The Good Food Chain Ltd said the company's production facility in Stone, Staffordshire, was "cross contaminated by an ingredient from one of its approved meat suppliers".

A spokesman for North Country Cooked Meats said it was "currently co-operating fully with the environmental health and the Food Standards Agency in their investigations".

What is listeria?

Listeria is a bacterium which can cause a type of food poisoning called listeriosis.

Normally, the symptoms are mild - a high temperature, chills, feeling sick - and go away on their own after a few days.

But these cases occurred in people who were seriously ill.

Along with pregnant women, newborn babies and the elderly, they are most at risk of a more serious infection that can spread to the brain or bloodstream.

In 2017 there were 33 deaths linked to listeriosis in England and Wales.

Listeria can be found in many types of food such as soft cheeses, chilled ready-to-eat foods like pre-packed salads, sandwiches and sliced meats, and unpasteurised milk products.

To reduce the risk, the NHS advises people keep chilled food in the fridge, heat food until it is piping hot and not eat food after its use-by date. </s> Three hospital patients have died after eating pre-packaged sandwiches linked to a listeria outbreak.

An investigation has been launched into the source of the infections, related to products supplied by The Good Food Chain, Public Health England (PHE) said.

Cases of listeria infection were found in six seriously ill hospital patients.

Those who died were at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool.

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director at the national infection service at PHE, said: “Our thoughts are with the families of those patients who have died.

“We, along with the Food Standards Agency, colleagues in local authorities and the NHS have worked quickly to determine the likely cause of this outbreak and taken action to reduce the risk to the public’s health.

“To date, there have been no associated cases identified outside healthcare organisations, and any risk to the public is low.”

The first case showed symptoms on April 25 while the most recent case was reported on May 15, a PHE spokeswoman said.

Sandwiches and salads were withdrawn on May 25, as soon as a link with the cases was suspected.

It is understood that some of the products were sold at hospitals while others were given to patients.

The Good Food Chain, which supplied 43 NHS trusts across the UK, has voluntarily ceased production.

The business was supplied with meat produced by North Country Cooked Meats, which has since tested positive for the outbreak strain of listeria and also stopped production.

Listeria infection is rare and usually causes a mild illness in healthy people.

However it can have more serious consequences among those with pre-existing medical conditions, pregnant women and those with a weak immune system.

Dr Colin Sullivan, chief operating officer at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is helping with the investigation, said: “Our sympathies are with the families of those patients who have tragically passed away.

“We have taken action along with local authorities to minimise the risk based on the evidence so far.

“The FSA will continue to investigate how the outbreak occurred and if further steps are required to protect vulnerable groups.” </s> Three hospital patients in England have died following an outbreak of listeria that is being linked to pre-packed sandwiches.

An investigation has been launched into the source of the infection.

Public Health England are focusing their probe on packets of sandwiches supplied by The Good Food Chain.

The cases of listeria infection were in six seriously ill hospital patients.

Those who died were at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool.

Listeriosis is a rare but serious foodborne illness caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes that can be more serious for individuals with weakened immune systems, and also the elderly, pregnant women and infants.

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director at the national infection service, at PHE, said: "Our thoughts are with the families of those patients who have died.

"We, along with the FSA, colleagues in local authorities and the NHS have worked quickly to determine the likely cause of this outbreak and taken action to reduce the risk to the public's health.

"To date, there have been no associated cases identified outside healthcare organisations, and any risk to the public is low."

Public Health England (PHE) said sandwiches and salads linked to the cases have been withdrawn and the supplier, The Good Food Chain, has voluntarily ceased production while the investigation continues.

PHE said The Good Food Chain had been supplied with meat produced by North Country Cooked Meats which tested positive for the outbreak strain of listeria. </s> PHE said sandwiches and salads linked to the cases have been withdrawn and the supplier, The Good Food Chain, has decided to stop production while the investigation continues.

PHE said The Good Food Chain had been supplied with meat produced by North Country Cooked Meats which tested positive for the outbreak strain of listeria. North Country Quality Foods has also voluntarily ceased production.

The cases of listeria infection were in six seriously-ill hospital patients in England, three of whom died.

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director at the National Infection Service at PHE, said: "Our thoughts are with the families of those patients who have died. </s> The deaths at Aintree, right, and Manchester are linked to food supplied by the Good Food Chain

Two of the victims were patients at Manchester Royal Infirmary. The other was a patient at Aintree Hospital, Liverpool. Three other patients were reported to be seriously ill as a result of the outbreak.

Sandwiches and salads linked to the cases were immediately withdrawn and the Staffordshire-based supplier, The Good Food Chain, has voluntarily ceased production while an investigation is conducted.

The caterers supplied 43 NHS trusts across the UK with their Whole Lotta Good range which has been developed specifically for healthcare patients' needs.

Public Health England (PHE) said the business had been supplied with meat produced by Salford-based North Country Cooked Meats, which has since tested positive for the outbreak strain of listeria and has also stopped production.

A spokesman for the Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (AFT) said it had been advised by PHE to remove the affected products from the supply chain on Friday May 24. </s> TWO more patients have died in a listeria outbreak linked to contaminated hospital sandwiches, health officials have said.

Public Health England today confirmed a total of five people have now died from the lethal bug after eating infected sarnies.

Scientists linked the outbreak to chicken sandwiches from The Good Food Chain in Stone, Staffordshire, which supplies 43 hospital trusts and shops nationwide.

It is also feared infected grub may have been sold to sporting venues, businesses and universities.

Last week it was revealed that two patients died at Manchester Royal Infirmary, with the third at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool.

It is understood that of the latest two listeria deaths, one died after the first three confirmed cases.

The other died before the other three, but has only just been discovered to by linked.

The trusts where the latest two victims were receiving treatment have not yet been named, but PHE said there are seven trusts across the country dealing with listeria cases.

The first case showed symptoms on April 25 and sandwiches and salads were withdrawn on May 25, as soon as a link with the cases was suspected.

Health bosses today said it brings the total number of cases to nine.

In a statement, PHE said: "Since the multi-agency investigation began into listeria cases linked to sandwiches and salads, Public Health England (PHE) has been analysing previously known cases of listeria from the past two months to see if they are linked to this outbreak.

"Whilst any risk to the public remains low, PHE's Whole Genome Sequencing analysis has identified an additional three cases of listeria linked to this outbreak.

"This brings the total number of confirmed cases to nine. All of the cases of listeria infection were in hospital patients in England.

"Sadly, one of the seriously ill six patients PHE confirmed last week has since died.

"One of the patients confirmed today as linked to the outbreak had already died. This brings the number of deaths linked to this outbreak to five."

Officials said meat from supplier North Country Cooked Meats has tested positive for the strain of listeria responsible for the outbreak.

They supplied meat to The Good Food Chain, who made the sandwiches. They have since pulled all prepacked sandwiches and salads from sale.

It is unclear if more Brits will come down with the infection - as it can take 70 days from exposure to show signs of the illness.

Dr Kimon Andreas Karatzas, associate professor in food microbiology at the University of Reading, said: "The company has ceased production and hopefully this can put an end to the outbreak.

"However, due to a relatively long incubation period it's possible that there could potentially be some more cases."

A PHE spokesperson confirmed the items of food were no longer being produced.

The affected products were also pulled from hospitals when the links to the listeria infections were first identified.

Following the product withdrawal, Public Health England and Health Protection Scotland have written to their respective NHS Trusts and Boards to ensure that they are following appropriate food storage and handling protocols and to provide clinical guidance.

Dr Nick Phin, Deputy Director at the National Infection Service at PHE said: "Our thoughts are with the families of those patients who have died.

"We, along with the FSA, colleagues in local authorities and the NHS have worked quickly to determine the likely cause of this outbreak and taken action to reduce the risk to the public’s health.

"To date, there have been no associated cases identified outside healthcare organisations, and any risk to the public is low."

Bug can cause meningitis and death

Listeria bacteria can prove serious for pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.

Prof Brendan Wren, an expert from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "If consumed it can lead to gastroenteritis, and in compromised patients more severe disease such as meningitis and, in rare cases, death.

"Pregnant women can pass the infection to their unborn children who are particularly susceptible to infection.

"In this small outbreak there appears a cluster of cases in hospitalised patients that were already ill.

"Listeria can survive refrigeration temperatures, which means it can persist in food processing equipment and in the food chain."

The Good Food Chain's website states: "We're proud to be revolutionising sandwiches for healthcare patients.

"Giving you more for less - making them fresh, tasty, nutritious, attractive and incredible value for money - is our mission.

"Our products are designed around today's patients - to give them a coffee shop style sandwich in bed."

They added: "Our customers enjoy quality products at the right price. They have peace of mind that all our products are lovingly hand prepared in a safe environment, as you would in your own kitchen."

Dr Colin Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer at the FSA said: "Our sympathies are with the families of those patients who have tragically passed away.

"We have taken action along with local authorities to minimise the risk based on the evidence so far.

"The FSA will continue to investigate how the outbreak occurred and if further steps are required to protect vulnerable groups."

There are around 166 annual listeria cases in England and Wales — with 46 deaths between 2010 and 2016.

Listeriosis is a rare infection and for most people it goes unnoticed or there are mild symptoms of gastroenteritis that usually last a short time without the need for treatment.

The time between exposure to the organism and the development of the illness can be up to 70 days.

Occasionally, however, a more serious infection develops and spreads to the blood stream or brain.

This can happen in people who have serious underlying health conditions and can also occur in pregnant women.

Pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions can find more information on the NHS website.
In the United Kingdom, three hospital patients die from listeria linked to prepacked sandwiches from North Country Cooked Meats distributed via The Good Food Chain, which supplies 43 National Health Service trusts across the country. Three other patients are seriously ill. North Country Cooked Meats, and its distributor, North Country Quality Foods, voluntarily cease production while the investigation is ongoing.