A CHILD suffered temporary kidney failure after two people were struck down with the potentially killer food bug E. coli.

Ribble Valley Council, the Health Protection Agency and Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust are all now 'monitoring' the area to make sure no more cases are reported.

The cases, believed to involve an adult and child from the same family, first came to light a fortnight ago, officials in the Ribble Valley said.

Both were taken to hospital and the child is said to be making a good recovery after suffering temporary kidney failure. The adult, diagnosed second, is also recovering.

It is thought that the bug was caught through a natural source because no other cases have been highlighted by GPs in the area. E.coli is carried in the gut of animals - mainly cattle - and is often linked to poorly-cooked food.

Ribble Valley Council environmental health manager James Russell said: "We are assisting the Health Protection Agency in the investigation of two cases of E. coli in Ribble Valley. I can confirm that both sufferers are from the same family but there is no indication at this stage of an outbreak.

"We are advising residents to drink only pasteurised milk, thoroughly cook all food, especially red meat, and prevent contamination of cooked foods from contact with raw meat, dirty cutlery and chopping boards."

Dr John Astbury from the Health Protection Agency said: "This is an unpleasant gastro-intestinal infection that causes bowel upset, accompanied usually by diarrhoea in adults.

In the younger groups it can occasionally be particularly serious and cause temporary failure of the kidneys, requiring short-term dialysis.

"Despite enhanced surveillance, we have not found any further cases and we are treating these infections as sporadic cases ."