Salmonella death is investigated

The patient died from a new strain of the infection

An investigation in under way following the death of a woman from Merseyside who contracted salmonella.

The 70-year-old died a few days after she was discharged from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

The hospital has admitted that although she had an underlying medical condition, salmonella was a contributory factor in her death.

The trust is now trying to identify what food she ate in hospital and where it came from.

Since the infection was reported, environmental health officers have carried out an unannounced inspection at the hospital's kitchens and found nothing of concern.

New strain

The patient, who has not been named, fell victim to a new strain of the illness called Salmonella Agona.

The strain is currently being investigated by the UK's Health Protection Agency and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland with 68 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland falling victim since February.

Diane Wake, director of nursing and infection prevention and control at the Royal Liverpool Hospital said: "This is understandably a very sad time for the patient's family and I would like to extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to them.

"Salmonella is a self-limiting illness. Patients normally recover fully in three to seven days. It would be very rare for someone who did not have other underlying medical conditions to die from a salmonella infection."