Salmonella bacteria explained and how to prevent it

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Niptoon Tavakoli, 65, was rushed to hospital experiencing diarrhoea and vomiting (D&V) five days after he ate the eggs purchased at Messingham Show near Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. His inquest this week heard Mr Tavakoli died two months later after hospital consultant’s noted the “severity of the salmonella was unusual”. Following his death, Niptoon’s wife, Cheryl, 63, instructed lawyers to investigate and support the family through the inquest.

Speaking at the hearing at Doncaster Coroner’s Court, intensive care specialist Dr Jon Maskill said: “This severity of salmonella, in my experience, is unusual.

“It’s not something you see a lot of.

“I’ve been doing intensive care for 27 years. He’s only the second person I’ve come across with this degree of salmonella.”

Mr Tavakoli, a retired retail manager, bought the six eggs from a stall at the country show and fried two to have on toast the following day in June 2019.

Mrs Tavakoli said: “He fried them really well. He didn’t like eggs too runny.

Mr Tavakoli decided to have two more eggs two days later, saying: “I really enjoyed those duck eggs, I’m going to have another two,” his wife said.

He cooked them the same way, she told the jury of seven women and four men.

On the Friday morning, Mrs Tavakoli said she woke to find her husband had been ill in the night with diarrhoea and vomiting (D&V).

She said she reluctantly made a trip to Essex due to a close family bereavement and, while she was away, her husband told her he had called for an ambulance.

The stepdad become unwell days later and his partner called 999.

Mrs Tavakoli said he told her paramedics gave him advice but did not take him to hospital.

She said she returned to their home near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the next day but her husband was still very unwell.

On the Monday morning – more than a week after the visit to the show – Mrs Tavakoli called 999 again as she was very concerned about her husband, fearing he may have developed sepsis, she told the hearing.

She said he had mottling on his body and his lips and his nails had turned blue.

The same paramedics attended and took him to Doncaster Royal Infirmary but Mrs Tavakoli said she was concerned about the crew’s attitude and that they did not travel under blue lights.

“They seemed quite rude to my husband – treated him like he was a fussy old man who just had D&V,” she said.

“But I was worried it was more serious. He was in a lot of pain.”

Dr Maskill said antibiotics were used to treat the illness but it was clear it was still in parts of Mr Tavakoli’s body despite the medication.

He said this happens in some severe cases and surgery is sometimes attempted to remove body parts harbouring the infection.

But the consultant said there was no prospect of Mr Tavakoli surviving surgery and he died from multi-organ failure caused by salmonella on August 12, 2019.

Mrs Tavakoli explained how, when she realised the duck eggs might be responsible, she took the remaining two to hospital for analysis and then scrubbed her home, throwing away the cooking implements.

She said she “felt like they were ticking time bombs in my house”.

Speaking previously, Mrs Tavakoli told Yorkshire Live: “Niptoon was a wonderful person who loved his family but also hunting out antiques. He often attended antique centres or fairs and loved studying old coins and history.

“Niptoon was always smiling and happy so seeing him so poorly and being unable to help him as his condition continued to deteriorate was terrible.

“We know that the inquest is going to be difficult but we hope that it will at least give us the answers we and Niptoon deserve.”

Cheryl, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, said: “While it may be more than two years since Niptoon’s death, the hurt and pain our family continue to feel is as strong now as it was then.

“Niptoon was a very good cook and had worked in the catering industry for years. It remains difficult not to think that he was taken too soon.

“We would do anything to have Niptoon back in our lives but we know that’s not possible. All we can hope for now is that we can at least get to the bottom as to why he died and if more could have been done to help him.”

Catherine Slattery, a specialist group actions lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the family, said: “Nearly three years on, Niptoon’s death continues to have a great impact on Cheryl and the rest of the family.

“Understandably they remain devastated by their loss and have a number of questions about the events that unfolded in the lead up to Niptoon’s death.

“The effects of salmonella should never be downplayed. It’s an incredibly dangerous illness which can cause serious health problems or in the worst cases, death.

“While it’s only right that a thorough investigation has to take place to establish all of the facts around Niptoon’s death, Cheryl now hopes that the inquest will help end her wait and establish the answers the family deserve.

“We’re determined to support the family throughout. If during the course of investigations any issues are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned.”

The inquest continues. Messingham Fair has been contacted for comment.

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