Girl, 17, fights for her life after contracting E.coli from 'Christmas market food'

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Antonia Hay, 17, caught a deadly strain of E.coli after visiting a Christmas market in the UK.

By Cally Brooks, News Reporter

18:29, Thu, Dec 28, 2023 | UPDATED: 19:12, Thu, Dec 28, 2023

Antonia Hay has been in intensive care for the last two weeks (Image: GoFundMe)

A 17-year-old girl has been left fighting for her life in intensive care after catching a deadly strain of E.coli from a Christmas market. Antonia Hay, from Buckinghamshire, has been in hospital for two weeks after what doctors think is STEC-HUS, caused by E-coli O157.

She is believed to have contracted it from a Christmas market in Great Missenden. After being admitted, she has had multiple operations, including one to remove part of her bowel, and a blood transfusion.

Her older sister, Jemima Hay, started a GoFundMe where she wrote: “She is currently lucky to be alive and has continued to show amazing determination and strength throughout this time, despite the immense stress, pain and trauma – all combined with an extreme phobia of injections.”

Antonia was allowed to return home on Christmas Day to spend time with her family before being re-admitted on Boxing Day due to kidney failure.

Her father, Steve Hay, wrote on Facebook: “To anyone who may have experienced food poisoning symptoms at any restaurant, establishment or any market stall in Great Missenden during the Christmas Market, particularly on or from November 25, please can you PM me.

“My middle daughter (17) is fighting for her life after a serious bacterial infection (e-coli) suspected from eating something around this time and we have strong theories, but just need to know if anyone else was affected with any level of stomach issues or illness (including stomach cramps or diarrhoea 1-10 days afterwards). Public Health / Bucks Health / UKHSA all aware.”

Antonia is now worried about how the illness will impact the rest of her life. Jemima said: “Anybody who has met Antonia will know that she is the most kind, caring, outgoing person and lights up any room she walks into.

“Despite going through the toughest time in her life, all she has cared about is everybody else and how they are feeling, still trying to make everybody laugh.”

According to the NHS, only a small amount of people go on to develop HUS from this strain of E.coli. This particular strain is found in contaminated food, infected animals and from coming into contact with others who have the same strain.

The GoFundMe has currently exceeded the target of £5,000 in just 24 hours and has now raised more than £8,000. Recently, 30 people have become sick from an E.coli outbreak after eating artisan cheese.

Four varieties of Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese have been urgently recalled as a result.

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