A 12-year-old has passed away and seven other children were hospitalised following a suspected E. Coli outbreak in northern France.
According to CBS News, French officials stated, all of the sickened children consumed meat products from two butcher shops in the city of Saint-Quentin.
Five of the children among those 12 sickened individuals were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that causes renal injury and becomes fatal.
The reason behind the outbreak has yet to be confirmed. However, as a precautionary measure, both of those butcher shops have been closed while samples are tested. Results are likely to be received next week.
HUS is a serious disease that usually follows an E. coli infection.
E. coli bacteria are found inside the guts of people and animals and can rapidly spread through contaminated food.
In the US, recent E. coli outbreaks have also sparked concerns.
At the start of June, ground beef sold in the US was recalled for potential E.coli contamination, the US Department of Agriculture confirmed.
In November, up to 40 people across 18 states got hospitalised after eating contaminated carrots from California, the CDC reported.
