THE FOOD SAFETY Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has said it is not aware of any contaminated eggs linked to a salmonella outbreak in the UK being distributed in Ireland.

More than 200 people have fallen ill in the outbreak, which has been declared a national outbreak by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), while one person has died.

There have been 199 cases identified in England, six in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

Imported eggs or dishes containing them are currently considered the leading suspected source of the outbreak, although health authorities have not yet established this definitively.

The FSAI told The Journal that it had been informed of the outbreak by the UK’s Food Standards Agency.

“To date, the FSAI has not been notified of any human cases in Ireland linked to this outbreak, nor are we aware of any distribution of the contaminated eggs to Ireland, but we continue to monitor the situation closely,” it said in a statement.

UK health authorities have said evidence so far suggests many of those affected became infected while eating out rather than from food prepared at home.

Genetic sequencing found that the salmonella bacteria identified in cases across the UK are closely related, indicating a common source.

UKHSA experts reportedly interviewed 114 people affected by the outbreak and found that eggs provided the “strongest signal” as a potential source.

Twenty-four cases have been linked to five unnamed businesses, while 11 of those affected reported eating dishes containing eggs.

The UKHSA has said there is currently no identified link to eggs or poultry produced in the UK, with investigators examining eggs supplied from a number of sources, including imports.

Salmonella can cause symptoms including diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever, typically developing between 12 and 72 hours after infection.

Most people recover without treatment, but the illness can be more serious for older people, young children and people with weakened immune systems.

Health authorities advise that thoroughly cooking eggs and other food can kill salmonella bacteria, while good hand hygiene and avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods can also reduce the risk of infection.

UK authorities are continuing to investigate the source of the outbreak, including tracing where potentially affected eggs or egg products were produced and supplied.

More information from the HSE can be found here.

With reporting from Eoghan Dalton