The girl dies in the outbreak of food poisoning in northern France

A 12-year-old girl has died and seven other children were taken to hospital at a hearth of severe food poisoning concentrated around a northern French city.

Symptoms began to appear on June 12th in and around St. Kuentin, south of Lille, and the children rushed to hospital in the coming days.

The reason for the hearth is yet to be identified as children are not thought to be mixed in the same groups.

The girl died on Monday from a rare condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) associated with acute renal failure, According to the local prefect in the Aina area. The most common cause of the infection is E.Coli bacteria.

The latter was reported on Wednesday night, said the Hauts-De France regional health authority.

All eight children were admitted to a hospital with severe digestive symptoms, such as bloody diarrhea, and five developed HUS, power said.

Health authorities conduct biological analysis in an attempt to identify the bacterial strain involved in any case.

They said there were no indications that the children had eaten dishes together and ruled out problems with the local tap water, which “can be used for drinking and for all daily purposes.”

Infectious disease (HUS) is most commonly caused by E.Coli food poisoning, authorities said. However, since the participating families have received their food from different places, the origin of pollution is difficult to find.

Food inspectors have been investigating whether polluted meat is behind the hearth. Several butchers at Saint-Quentin were closed on Thursday, local newsletter L’Asne Nouvelle said.

A butcher said all his meat, marinade and spices were taken away to be checked.

Parents are told to be vigilant and to guarantee strict hygiene at home, with authorities advising regular washing of hands, washing fruits and vegetables, careful cooking of meat and separating raw and cooked food.