Parents are being asked to check their houses for Kinder products that have been recalled amid salmonella fears.
Kinder's parent company Ferrero has recalled a huge list of products in recent weeks due to people, mainly children, falling ill - you can see the list here.
Since the end of January, 15 cases of salmonellosis which form part of this outbreak have been identified in Ireland, primarily in children. The most recent Irish cases became unwell in mid-March.
The majority of people who have become ill in this wider outbreak, have reported eating Kinder products in the days before they became unwell.
Evidence gathered during the outbreak in Ireland and in other countries, has been used to direct investigations to identify products that may be associated with this outbreak.
Dr Paul McKeown, Specialist in Public Health Medicine at the HSE-HPSC, said: “Although there has been a speedy recall of these products, we may see a number of further cases of illness associated with this outbreak. However, the likelihood of any individual child becoming sick as a result of eating this product is extremely low.
"Only a very small percentage of children who have eaten this product over the last few weeks has developed salmonella infection. The symptoms of salmonella infection in children (nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea) are mild in the majority of cases, and can be managed at home.
“If your child develops more worrying symptoms such as a lot of diarrhoea, diarrhoea with blood in it, a lot of vomiting, a high temperature or a nasty headache, you should seek medical advice from your GP.
"It is important to remember that the majority of children who develop vomiting and diarrhoea are unlikely to have salmonella infection, and are more likely to have a simple viral tummy upset, which can be treated simply with paracetamol and fluids by mouth.”
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