Latest news with #staphylococcusaureus
Daily Record
31-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Everything pet owners need to know as woman dies after being licked by dog
June Baxter, 83, died after a dog licked a wound on her leg, causing it to become infected. An inquest has heard that a British woman tragically died after her wound was licked by a dog, leading to an infection. June Baxter, 83, sustained a cut on her leg while using a commode at her home in Attleborough, Norfolk, on June 29. The retired legal secretary was alone when the incident occurred and promptly rang a community call bell for assistance. Her granddaughter Caitlan Allin, who was also her primary carer, responded to the call with her dog. Shortly thereafter, paramedics arrived at the scene to treat the injury. This unfortunate event follows a recent incident where a toddler suffered second-degree burns from contact with 'UK's most dangerous plant'. The following day, June informed her granddaughter that she felt unwell and was subsequently admitted to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on July 1. Despite the medical team's best efforts, June sadly passed away from septic shock on July 7, reports the Mirror. Post-mortem tests revealed the presence of pasteurella multocida on June's leg, a bacteria commonly found in animal's mouths, as per the inquest. In a statement to the court, June's daughter described her mother as "independent and determined" and noted that she had previously battled sepsis. She acknowledged the "possibility" that the wound could have been licked by a dog and concurred with the cause of death. Caitlan stated that she "didn't see her dog lick June's injury," but conceded it was a "possibility" given her grandmother's fondness for the pet. The official cause of death was recorded as "septic shock due to left leg cellulitis due to a domestic dog lick". Deaths from a dog lick due to pasteurella multocida are rare but do occur. According to the UK government, human infections are typically contracted following exposure to domestic pets such as cats and dogs. It stated: "The most common manifestation of pasteurellosis in humans is a local wound infection, usually following an animal bite or scratch. This can develop into a serious soft tissue infection, and can also be complicated by abscesses, septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. "Pasteurella spp can also cause meningitis, ocular infections, and respiratory infections, usually in patients with underlying pulmonary disease." Dr Andrew Conlan, associate professor in epidemiology at the University of Cambridge, told The Times: "The risk posed for serious infection from bacteria that are not normally pathogenic [capable of causing disease] is incredibly low for most healthy people." He warned that other bacteria people need to be cautious of, which are carried by humans and dogs, are staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus. Both can be present in dog saliva and trigger a variety of infections, ranging from mild skin infections to life-threatening illnesses.
Daily Record
27-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Grieving Scots mum calls for probe into scandal hit Glasgow hospital's baby unit
"I have to do this for my son because I have to get answers for him." A grieving mum who lost her baby son at a scandal-hit hospital has called for a wider probe into the troubled site. Carolanne Baxter wants the neonatal unit at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Children to be included in the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry looking into the problems at the facility and adjoining Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH). Since she first learned about the wider concerns about the QEUH campus, she has been plagued with doubt about the circumstances of her son William's deterioration and death. We revealed last week that more than £78million has been spent investigating and repairing the QEUH since it opened a decade ago, including £10million being spent to fix ventilation in a child cancer ward, £6million for tap filters and £880,000 for water and air testing. Now, the 42-year-old mum of three from Glasgow, who lost William in 2019, has now told for the first time of her heartbreaking experience. Carolanne said: 'I have to do this for my son because I have to get answers for him. The inquiry always looks at the child cancer wards but I was in the neonatal intensive care unit with William and things weren't right there either. 'We were told not to drink tap water, only bottled water. If there were no issues with the water supply, then why was that?' William was born premature at 28 weeks and five days old on January 29, 2019. He never left the hospital and died there on July 18 that year. Carolanne said he developed several infections while at the hospital and was given three types of medication, which she claimed she didn't know about. She fears the infections could have been linked to the environment. Carolanne said: 'He had cannulas [tubes for giving medication and fluid] all over him – in his arms, legs, even in his head. 'We know those are areas where infections could get in easily. He was born in good condition but two weeks later he got an infection and developed sepsis.' According to William's medical notes, he had been 'colonised with serratia', a type of bacteria previously investigated at the neonatal unit years earlier after a number of babies were found to have it. He was also found to have been infected with two other bacteria called staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, resulting in sepsis. His medical records also state that his central line – another type of tube used for giving medicines – was infected and had 'blocked and burst' and had to be replaced. As he was born so prematurely, William had various complex health problems and was due to have heart surgery but this was cancelled. Carolanne said: 'They kept having to cancel the operations because he had infections. He would fight back from the infections but something would come again. He never got the surgery in the end.' Along with infections, William had several broken ribs and a broken arm, which Carolanne claims medics failed to explain or tell her about until days after they discovered the injuries. She said: 'It took them three days to tell me he had broken ribs and a broken arm. They said it was because he was premature and it could have been when he was being handled. 'I don't know why I wasn't told straight away.' Carolanne insists she had not realised there were concerns about infections in other parts of the site. She said: 'It wasn't until two years later and my mum said there had been problems with the QEUH and infections. I started reading into it and realised it was when I was there with William. It made me question everything and made me think about why certain things were happening. 'We were moved out of rooms, told not to drink the tap water. William had got infections when he was in the hospital and he never left there, so were any of them related to the environment? 'It was like a double whammy, it hit me all over again.' In 2022, Carolanne was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of what happened to William. She said: 'I had to give up work, I wasn't able to be a good mum to the rest of my children. It goes round and round in my head, what could I have done differently? What did I not notice?' Carolanne is a witness at the public inquiry looking into the QEUH campus problems but said there has been no focus on the neonatal unit and potential problems there. She said: 'That's why I wanted to give a statement, in the hope they would take it into account too because I know things were not right there.' An NHSGGC spokesman said: 'The NICU is part of the older, retained estate on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus and has a separate water and ventilation system. It does not form part of the new-build hospitals covered by the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry's terms of reference. 'We have carried out, and continue to take, significant action to reduce environmental risks in our hospitals to help us to provide high quality care.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Online Citizen
17-07-2025
- Health
- Online Citizen
Yunhaiyao fined S$7,000 for food poisoning case affecting 171 ByteDance staff in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Yunhaiyao, a catering company known for operating the Yun Nans chain of restaurants in Singapore, was fined S$7,000 on 17 July 2025. The fine was issued over a mass food poisoning incident last year that affected employees at ByteDance Singapore. According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, Lu Zhi Tao, chief executive officer of Yunhaiyao, appeared in court to receive the sentence on behalf of the company. Singapore Food Agency (SFA) prosecutor Mohd Rizal told the court that a total of 171 victims suffered gastroenteritis symptoms. Of these, 60 victims were sent to hospital for treatment. Twenty-two of them were warded for one to three days. The remaining 38 received outpatient care or self-medicated at home. District Judge Janet Wang described the number of victims as 'staggering' and noted it was fortunate that there were no fatalities. Investigations revealed that the affected ByteDance employees had eaten wok-fried diced chicken catered by Yunhaiyao. Tests showed the dish contained staphylococcus aureus bacteria far exceeding permissible limits. According to SFA, more than 200,000 colony-forming units per gram were found in a sample of the chicken. Food safety regulations state that food should contain fewer than 100 colony-forming units. Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as staph, can cause food poisoning when food is not cooked or stored properly. It can also spread through poor hygiene practices among food handlers. Further checks by SFA at the Yun Nans outlet in Northpoint City uncovered more than 10 live cockroaches. Yunhaiyao pleaded guilty to one charge under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations for the cockroach infestation. It also pleaded guilty to a second charge under the Sale of Food Act for selling food that failed to meet the standards demanded by ByteDance. Prosecutor Mohd Rizal had requested a total fine of S$5,500 for Yunhaiyao. This is the company's first food safety offence in Singapore. Yunhaiyao, founded in 2009 in China, has expanded to include over a dozen outlets in major Chinese cities. Annual sales for the company exceed 1 billion yuan (approximately S$200 million). Lu established the first overseas Yunhaiyao outlet in Singapore in 2019 after relocating with his family.
CNA
02-07-2025
- Health
- CNA
ByteDance mass food poisoning: Catering company pleads guilty
This is for selling the wok fried diced chicken dish to ByteDance when it was "not of the quality demanded by ByteDance", since it contained staphylococcus aureus counts exceeding allowed limits. More than 200,000 colony-forming units per gram of staphylococcus aureus counts were found in a sample obtained by SFA. Food regulations state that fewer than 100 colony-forming units can be found in food. The pathogen count found in the chicken made it "unsuitable for consumption", said the SFA prosecutor. Consuming such food items may cause gastroenteritis symptoms. ByteDance had catered lunch for its employees on Jul 30 last year. The meal was served at the canteen at One Raffles Quay and involved food from Yunhaiyao and another caterer. Sixty people who consumed the meal prepared by Yunhaiyao suffered from abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting, and were taken to different hospitals. SFA's National Centre for Food Science confirmed that the chicken dish prepared by Yunhaiyao was the likely cause of staphylococcus aureus food poisoning in the victims. A day after the incident, SFA inspected Yunhaiyao's food preparation premises and discovered a cockroach infestation. More than 10 live cockroaches were found beneath a folded grey plastic mat behind a rack on Yunhaiyao's premises. Staff members immediately disposed of the infested material, the prosecutor said. SFA prosecutor Mohd Rizal asked for a total fine of S$5,500 for Yunhaiyao. This is the company's first offence. However, District Judge Janet Wang adjourned sentencing, saying more information was needed as the extent of harm caused "is not clear". She said there is "huge public interest in this case" and asked for information including the extent of the injuries to the victims, how many required medical intervention, how many were hospitalised and how many were given hospitalisation leave. Mitigation and sentencing was adjourned to Jul 17.
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Taskforce tackling infections in Dumfries and Galloway looking for new members
The infection prevention and control public involvement group scrutinises how infection prevention is delivered and plays a key role in forming policy and procedures. A taskforce aimed at tackling infections in Dumfries and Galloway is looking for new members. The infection prevention and control public involvement group scrutinises how infection prevention is delivered and plays a key role in forming policy and procedures. And it is encouraging anyone with an interest in infection prevention to consider joining. No medical experience is needed – just a willingness to learn, question, and contribute. Group chair Irene Henry said: 'This is not a passive role. It's about helping to shape decisions that affect the health and lives of everyone living in Dumfries and Galloway. If that sounds like something you care about, we want to hear from you. 'Covid taught us a lot – not just about how infection spreads, but about how critical it is to include patient voices in decision-making. 'This group isn't symbolic. We're actively shaping the way infection risks are managed, and our views are being taken seriously. We've already seen that in the changes that have come about as a direct result of our role.' The threat from infection hasn't faded since Covid-19. A report for the latest healthboard meeting revealed there had been 77 cases of over the first 10 months of 2024/25 – up from 62 over the same period the year before. There were 25 cases of staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SABs) – down from 31 – with clostridium difficile ( cases rising from 30 to 39. Infection prevention and control manager Ross Darley said: 'Having this group involved raises the bar. They ask difficult questions, highlight gaps, and keep infection prevention a living, evolving part of our health system – not just a set of static rules. Their work is essential to how we respond and implement policy and procedures. 'The NHS continues to be challenged with evolving infection threats – from the recent emergence of Mpox to new antibiotic-resistant superbugs fuelled by global travel. 'These aren't distant problems – they affect how care is delivered in our region, how patients are protected and hospitals are kept as safe as possible.' The group meets every two months for a meeting attended by senior NHS infection prevention and control management, public health representatives and vaccination leads Training is provided, as well as direct insight into the local NHS processes, with members actively encouraged to draw from their own experiences and knowledge to inform the shaping of approaches. Anyone with an interest in joining the group should email
