Sabrina Elizabeth L.

Buenafe
Grade 8
News Article: Food Poisoning
A woman has died and 30 people have fallen ill
following a Christmas Day lunch at an east
London pub.
Della Callagher died two days after eating at the
Railway Hotel in Hornchurch.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) began an
inquiry after the Clostridium perfringens
bacterium was found in samples from the affected
diners.
Mrs Callagher's husband John said he took her to
hospital on Boxing Day but is angry doctors told
her to go home.
"We went to hospital and she had an injection
then they told her to go home and lay down," he
told BBC London.
"There was no blood test."
He said she got worse the next day and was taken
to hospital where she died.
"If she was rolling around on the floor they would
have admitted her - but because she was dignified
she wasn't," he said.

The couple, who live in Hornchurch, have a 14year-old daughter and Mrs Callagher's funeral
takes place on Saturday.
Appropriate treatment
Dr Mike Gill, medical director for Barking,
Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals
NHS Trust, said the patient was given appropriate
treatment and advice.
"The trust followed accepted medical practice," he
said. "We will be fully reviewing the case.
"We have written to the family offering our
condolences at this very difficult time and
inviting them to meet with medical staff who can
answer any queries or concerns they may have."
The Clostridium perfringens bacterium is a
common cause of food poisoning and affects
mostly red meat or poultry.
The HPA said it was rare for a person to die as a
result of food poisoning.
Isolated incident
Dr Deborah Turbitt, from the HPA, said: "Our
thoughts are with the family at this sad time.
"We have been working with environmental
health officers at Havering Council to identify the

cause of illness and any links to food eaten at the

venue.
A spokeswoman for The Railway Hotel, which
remains open, offered condolences to the family.
She added: "We are fully co-operating with the
environmental health and Health Protection
Agency teams while they conduct a thorough
investigation.
"However until this investigation is complete we
can't speculate about the possible cause or
source."
A Havering Council spokesman said: "Our initial
findings indicate that this seems to be a serious
but isolated incident.
"Our officers conducted a second site visit
yesterday to gather further evidence and
statements from employees."
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-englandlondon-20908427