Birmingham: Public Health England (PHE) has launched an investigation into the nationwide salmonella outbreak after three salmonella infected people have died in the country.

The outbreak has killed more than 150 people so far. Most of the cases, around half of which are said to have been reportedly related to two Asian restaurants, have come from Hampshire, London, the West Midlands, Cheshire and Merseyside.

The patients were among 34 people to catch the food poisoning bug, which can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting, chills and fever, at Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital. It should be noted that in two of these cases, salmonella has not been found to be the direct cause of death. The third case has been referred to a coroner's court on unknown grounds.

The health governing body of the UK suspects that the156 cases of salmonella poisoning across the UK could be linked, calling for an investigation. Though the cases have occurred in 'isolated clusters' over several months but officials now want to investigate if these could potentially be linked.

Interestingly, genetic tests suggest that the cause of illness could have come from a single source, PHE said. Investigators are working alongside the Food Standards Agency to look into the cause of the outbreak - which may have also affected people in France and Austria.