England's E.coli hotspots have been revealed in shocking new Public Health stats, and Dorset is one of the worst-offending areas.

Dorset has been ranked as the third highest hotspot for E.coli in the country, according to research by chemist-4-u.com.

Between September 2017 and September 2018, 733 cases of E.coli were recorded by the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Birmingham and Solihull CCG recorded the highest number of cases with 987, followed by Northern, Eastern and Weston Devon CCG in second with 781 recorded cases.

E.coli is a type of bacteria common in human and animal intestines, and forms part of the bacteria that exist in the bowel.

Symptoms of E.coli include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, blood in diarrhoea, and occasionally a fever.

There are a number of different types of E.coli and, while the majority are harmless, some can cause serious food poisoning and serious infection.

In October, two children from the same family died after contracting E.coli. The pair died from a complication of E.coli called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which affects the kidneys.

The bacteria appears to be on the rise. 3791 cases were recorded in the 12 months to September this year across 195 CCGs in England, compared with 3535 during the same period the year before.

Shamir Patel, pharmacist and founder of chemist-4-u.com, said: “E.coli is usually spread through faecal matter reaching the mouth, so good hygiene is really important.

“People should be making sure they wash their hands with warm, soapy water and dry their hands thoroughly after visiting the toilet.

“They should also make sure to wash their hands after coming into contact with animals, for instance at a farm.”

“It’s really important that vegetables are washed properly prior to eating and meat is cooked thoroughly.

“If you have been infected with E.coli, avoid preparing food for 48 hours after symptoms have cleared up.

“Some cases of E.coli have originated from people swimming in contaminated water such as streams or ponds, so if you are tempted to swim in these, don’t swallow the water.”

“If you are experiencing diarrhoea it’s important to drink plenty of water to stop yourself from becoming dehydrated.

“Some cases of E.coli poisoning can be treated at home however anti-diarrhoea drugs are not recommended as they may stop the toxin from leaving the system as quickly as it may otherwise have done.

“If you are a parent and your child has bloody diarrhoea, you should call NHS 111 as soon as possible.”

For more information visit: https://www.chemist-4-u.com/guides/pharmaceutical-advice/e-coli