The first deaths from what would become the world's worst outbreak of E Coli were announced on 27 November 1996. The outbreak, which affected around 200 people and caused 20 deaths, was traced to a butcher's shop in the Lanarkshire town of Wishaw. The outbreak was the world's most serious occurence of E Coli 0157.

Among those affected were a group of elderly people who had eaten lunch at a church event for retired people.