Man who caught E.coli after eating Boots chicken wrap says he 'feared he would die'

A man who was diagnosed with E.coli after eating a chicken and bacon caesar wrap from Boots has said he feared that he would die.

John Daniels, 66, told Sky News that the disease had left him in “absolutely excruciating pain”.

Last week, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that one patient had died in an E.coli outbreak linked to lettuce used in sandwiches.

So far there have been 182 cases in England, 58 in Scotland, 31 in Wales and four in Northern Ireland.

At least 122 people have been admitted to hospital for treatment since the start of the outbreak.

Several food manufacturers have been forced to recall sandwiches, wraps and salads in major supermarkets over fears they are linked to an outbreak of the infection.

Mr Daniels, from Cheshire, bought the wrap from a Boots store in May and went on to spend three days in hospital battling the infection.

He was later readmitted and continues to suffer from complications.

“I have never been in so much pain, absolutely excruciating pain,” he said.

“What was going through my mind, especially when I had all the drips in and the painkillers weren't working, was whether this was something more sinister and whether I was actually going to survive.

“There was one particular night I was scared to go to sleep because I thought 'I'm not going to wake up'.”

Mr Daniels has been interviewed by the UKHSA and instructed lawyers to investigate his case.

“It should be safe for the general public to go to a shop and buy a sandwich that isn't going to cause serious illness or, in some cases, worse,” he said.

“It needs to be kept in the public eye that we can't afford to let our food supply become affected like this.”

A Boots spokesperson said: “In response to Greencore's product recall on 14 June 2024, Boots took the precautionary measure of recalling a number of its sandwiches and wraps.

“There have been no positive results of STEC E. coli in any of the Food Standards Agency's testing of our products.”

Symptoms of E.coli typically include severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea, which is often bloody.

Many patients may also have a fever.

While most patients recover within five to seven days, symptoms can last up to two weeks in uncomplicated cases.

However, virologists have warned the illness can be much worse in young children, elderly people and those with underlying conditions in their immune system.