Fears under-cooked sausages spreading ‘Brexit virus’ here

AN INVESTIGATION is underway to find out if the so-called ‘Brexit virus’ in under-cooked sausages and pork is causing people to fall ill with a potentially serious illness.

The strain of hepatitis E has been given the controversial name in the UK because it is linked to imported pork products from pig farms on the continent, causing 1,200 people to become sick. Around 90 cases of hepatitis were notified to health authorities here last year but it is unclear how many are linked to eating contaminated pork.

A spokesman for the Food Safety Authority said: “We have hepatitis E cases in Ireland, but it has only become a notifiable disease in the last 18 months.”

He said that in Ireland “we do not yet know if the type of hepatitis E virus we see in people is the same as the one found in pigs”.

In order to investigate its impact, the Department of Agriculture has now funded a three-year study into hepatitis E looking at its prevalence on farms.

A previous study of pigs here found that antibodies to the virus were discovered in 89 pigs in 13 herds.

The researchers in the ‘Irish Veterinary Journal’ concluded that hepatitis E virus is present in most Irish pig herds.

Washed

Consumers are warned to ensure pork products are fully cooked as a precaution, avoid raw or undercooked meat and ensure their hands are washed carefully before preparing and eating food.

Hepatitis E is usually a self-limiting illness. But it can be serious for patients with pre-existing liver disease and women infected during the third trimester of pregnancy.

It may also lead to chronic hepatitis in patients with very weak immune systems.

The hepatitis E virus is also spread through faeces, which is one of the reasons why it is important to wash hands.

The illness does not usually spread easily within families, except when all members of the family have been eating the same contaminated food or drinking the same infected water.

The virus can be found in animals such as pigs or deer.

It does not cause the animals any illness, however it is possible to pass it from the animal to humans.

Unlike hepatitis B, C or D, there is no evidence of the hepatitis E virus being transmitted through sharing needles, bodily fluids or through sexual contact.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service began testing for hepatitis E in recent years. One in 20 blood donors was found to be exposed to hepatitis E.

The prevalence of hepatitis E is between 10pc and 16pc in Britain.

Chef and TV personality Jamie Oliver has drawn criticism from food safety specialists for his advice on cooking pork fillets.

He advised to marinate or tenderise the fillet, and cook it until slightly blushing pink.

But specialists have warned that it could be hazardous.