Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library copies of the reports made by Public Health England into the outbreaks of E. coli variant 055 in Dorset in 2014-15; and what steps he is taking to prevent any future such outbreak.

Despite rigorous and extensive investigation of this unusual strain of Vero cytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O55, a single source was not identified. The evidence suggests that the likely source was a local zoonotic (from animals) infection. No further cases of this unusual strain of VTEC with links to Dorset have been seen since late 2015.

Public Health England (PHE) has well established systems to identify new cases of this infection and well-rehearsed operational procedures to respond should any future cases emerge. These systems were last tested in a cross-Government exercise in November 2016. There is extensive guidance and advice on preventing the transmission of VTEC on the PHE website, NHS Choices and the Food Standards Agency website.