Two butcher shops in northern France have temporarily closed after a child died from severe food poisoning, said local authorities on Friday.

Eight children have come down with severe food poisoning since June 12 after consuming meat products from the two businesses in the northern city of Saint-Quentin.

Five of them contracted a rare foodborne illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), including a 12-year-old girl who died.

HUS in most cases occurs after someone ingests the Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli), commonly found in the gut of humans and warm-blooded animals.

It is “impossible at this stage to confirm that the consumption of products from these two establishments is the source of the contamination,” local authorities said.

But the children all consumed meat or meat products from these two butchers a few days before symptoms appeared, it said.

Authorities have closed the two shops as a precautionary measure while samples from both stores are tested.

The authorities said they should have the results “early next week” and an investigation has been launched into where the meat came from.

HUS affects between 100 and 165 children in France each year, according to the country’s public health agency.

© 2025 AFP