A WOMAN who feared she would die after contracting E coli has slammed Public Health England for ending its investigation too soon.

Jessica Archer, 25, a nurse who lives in Bournemouth and works in Blandford, developed symptoms a month after her three-year-old nephew Isaac Mortlock fell ill with the same condition in July.

She said Isaac developed symptoms just days after the family had eaten together at a restaurant to celebrate his birthday.

“We both had blood in our stools and he had sickness when he became ill,” she added.

“They scanned me and found I had an inflamed colon which suggested I had HUS [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome – a severe, life-threatening complication that occurs in about 10 per cent of those infected with E coli].

“I was taken to Bournemouth – first A&E and then a surgical unit because they weren’t sure what was wrong with me.”

Ms Archer spent a week at Bournemouth Hospital where the HUS attacked her kidneys and liver before being transferred to a hospital in London, where doctors utilised plasma exchange treatment and blood transfusions in a bid to keep her alive.

After two weeks in London, Ms Archer was discharged, but continues to undergo regular blood tests.

“They [Public Health England] looked into our case and the restaurant we went to – but could not find anything there,” she said. “They shut our case.

“It’s been an absolutely horrendous experience. Members of our family told us that we both might die.”

However, last week Ms Archer said she received a phone call from the government body telling her seven other people in Dorset had fallen ill with E coli and that they would investigate her and Isaac’s cases again.

“We are upset our case got closed because three of us got HUS and if they had investigated more maybe there wouldn’t have been any more cases,” she said.

“We are a bit angry. Maybe they shouldn’t have closed our case and instead carried on looking for the source that made us ill rather than waiting for the 10 of us to get ill.”

Statement from Public Health England

“PHE actively investigates each case when it occurs and follows up and screens any contacts/premises to identify possible carriage of the bacteria.

“This was completed for each case identified since July 2014. The cases in July and August had no common source.

“The next cases were identified in October. Some of these attend a nursery. All these cases were investigated in the same way and information was provided at that time to parents at the nursery with advice on how to reduce risk of infection.

“All cases and their close contacts have been extensively interviewed in an attempt to identify a common source but this remains unknown.

“We routinely issue reminders about the importance of good hand hygiene.”

Escherichia coli facts

E coli, or Escherichia coli, is a common bacteria found in the intestines.

Although usually harmless, some types can cause gastrointestinal problems and result in severe illness.

Found in the faeces, the bacterium can survive outside the body and cause intestinal infection, cystitis and urinary tract infections.

One way to become infected is via contaminated food.

Symptoms can include severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea that may be bloody.

Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening complication which affected some of the sufferers in Dorset, develops in up to 10 per cent of people infected and can lead to renal failure.

People of all ages are at risk, but children are particularly vulnerable to more severe infections.