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Health experts are warning that ‘E.coli cases are likely to rise’ due to an outbreak linked to a ‘nationally distributed food item’ – and dozens have already been left in hospital.
Cath Rees, professor of Microbiology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nottingham, tells Tech & Science Daily everything we know about the situation as it stands.
The UK’s Health Security Agency has confirmed that at least 37 people have been admitted to hospital as a result of this outbreak, with testing showing that most of the 113 cases reported across the UK came from a single source. The agency did not provide more details about the foods that may be responsible.
The UKHSA ruled out the disease being spread through water, saying there was “currently no evidence linking the outbreak to open farms, drinking water or swimming in contaminated seawater, lakes or rivers”.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship, the most powerful rocket ever made, has successfully launched and landed in a critical test mission.
SpaceX’s Starship took off from its base in Texas, separated its booster and then splashed down in the ocean. The spacecraft then flew around the Earth and completed a landing burn as it fell towards the water.
The spacecraft lost many of the tiles that keep it safe from heat, and one of the flaps intended to control its descent was damaged, but SpaceX kept control of the spacecraft straight into the ocean – for the first time.
The Standard’s Saqib Shah joins us to discuss the new Bodycam game that has gone viral for its ultra-realistic visuals.
Some streamers who got early access to the game have received millions of views from people wanting to get a preview.
It is thought that the title will especially appeal to people who prefer the older versions of Call of Duty, but with improved technology.
And the rest
Why nature groups are launching a legal bid over the loss of England’s wildlife, and look who’s woofing: why scientists are using AI to interpret the meaning of bark.
You can listen to the episode in the player above, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Here’s an automated transcript:
Hi, I’m Rochelle Travers, and this is The Standard’s Tech and Science Daily podcast.
Coming up, SpaceX’s Starship completes a critical test mission.
Now, let’s get into it.
Health experts are warning that an outbreak linked to a nationally distributed food item is likely to lead to a rise in E coli cases, and dozens have already been hospitalized.
E coli is a type of bacteria that is normally found in the gut, and this particular type is often found in the intestines of animals.
Now, we live with E coli all the time, we have E coli in our intestines, it’s very good for us because it makes vitamins, it keeps us healthy, but there are some certain types, and especially these that come from animal intestines. , which have some additional genes, which help them to live in animals, which do no harm to the animals, but when it enters us, it causes a serious disease because it enters parts of our body that should not succeed it usually enters.
That’s Cath Rees, Professor of Microbiology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nottingham.
We know that the main sources are from animal faeces which can get onto carcasses and get onto meat, but it can get into water supplies and get into things like irrigation water for vegetable salads, or it can go into washing fruit and vegetables.
People often relate to this going to the environment where you go to farms where there are animals.
So there are all kinds of sources.
So it’s really hard to identify exactly where this is coming from.
At the time of recording this podcast, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that at least 37 people have been hospitalized as a result of this outbreak.
And the test shows that the majority of the 113 cases reported across the UK came from one source.
The agency did not provide more details about the foods that may be responsible.
Professor Rees says it is important not to speculate about the source of the outbreak and wait until the UK HSA has confirmation as wrongly guessing could have adverse effects on people’s health as well as businesses.
These outbreaks are very rare, but I say when we get these outbreaks, the reason the government is putting out these warnings is because we are concerned because, unlike other types of food poisoning when it could you might get an upset stomach for a few days, this kind of thing can have long-term health effects.
So they are going to do everything they can to track this down as quickly as possible.
The UKHSA ruled out spreading the disease through water, saying there was currently no evidence linking the outbreak to open farms, drinking water or swimming in contaminated seawater, lakes or rivers.
Because of the wide geographic spread of cases, the agency believes the outbreak is linked to a nationally distributed food item or multiple food items.
Here is Professor Rees’ advice for anyone concerned about this outbreak.
Cook everything.
Right, so E coli itself is a bit of a pussycat in terms of killing it.
It’s not really hard to kill.
So eating meat, cook it well.
If eating mince, especially mince, make sure there is no pink in the middle.
If it is salad and vegetables, even if they are pre-washed and you get them from the supermarket or anywhere, wash them again at home with plenty of water.
And don’t forget to wash your hands as often as possible when preparing or touching food.
Forward.
The sound from the launch of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever made.
And then successfully complete a soft sea landing.
SpaceX and Starship retired from their base in Texas. Separated his booster and then splashed down in the ocean.
The spacecraft then flew around the world and completed a landing burn as it fell towards the water. The spacecraft has lost many of the tiles that keep it safe from the heat. And one of the flaps intended to control his descent was damaged.
But SpaceX kept control of the spacecraft directly into the ocean for the first time.
It was the fourth test flight for Starship, which NASA and SpaceX owner Elon Musk hope will eventually fly humans to the moon and Mars.
The company said it will be launching its next test mission soon.
Now.
A clip from Bodycam, a new game that went viral for its ultra-realistic visuals.
Yeah, so Bodycam, it’s a PC game that looks a bit like a basic version of fall of duty.
By that I mean there are more gritty, realistic gunfights, tactical shootouts in almost photorealistic environments.
There’s no health regeneration, things like that designed to create a more tactical and immersive experience.
That’s Saqib Shah, technology and gaming reporter for The Standard.
But the central gimmick or USP here is that the game looks like you’re seeing the action from the point of view of a wearable camera.
So, the kind of body cameras that some police officers wear on patrol, that’s supposed to add to the realism.
Gamers are excited because of its back with multiplayer modes Basics and visceral gunplay.
Some streamers who got early access to the game have received millions of views from people wanting to get a preview.
YouTuber Jack Fragg’s preview video of the game alone has more than 4 million views so far.
It is thought that the title will especially appeal to people who prefer the older versions of Call of Duty, but with improved technology.
It was made using Unreal Engine 5, which is the latest technology developers are using to create games.
The results tend to be more realistic with more natural lighting and shadows, detailed characters, smoother animations and more complex 3D worlds.
Early access to Bodycam is later today, Friday June 7th on Steam.
Let’s go to the ads.
Coming up, why we might be one step closer to understanding what dogs are saying.
Welcome back.
More than 80 conservation groups are launching a legal bid to force whichever party is in power after the general election to improve targets for tackling wildlife decline in England.
One in six species in the UK is currently at risk of extinction and the Conservative government has set a legally binding target to halt the loss of nature by 2030.
Organizations including the National Trust, the RSPB and the Wildlife Trust also came together to urge politicians from all parties to do more to boost biodiversity.
And finally, ever look at your dog and if you want to know what they were thinking?
Well, soon we may have an answer.
Scientists are using artificial intelligence to interpret the meaning of dog barks.
Researchers from the University of Michigan in the US are using AI to better understand what a wolf perceives as whether a dog is feeling playful or angry.
Scientists say they have already made progress in decoding canine communication by reusing existing computer models trained on human speech.
You are up to date.
Come back at 4pm for The Standard podcast for all the latest news and analysis.
Tech and Science Daily will be back tomorrow at 1pm.
See you there.
