E-Paper
Europe attacked by killer cucumbers
Germany’s disease control centre reported 365 new E. coli cases on Wednesday as the government scrambled to trace the source of the deadly outbreak.
Germany’s disease control centre reported 365 new E. coli cases on Wednesday as the government scrambled to trace the source of the deadly outbreak.
A quarter of the new cases involved the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication resulting from E. coli infection that affects the blood and kidneys, Germany’s Robert Koch Institute said.
The HUS outbreak has been the main contributor to the deaths of some 16 people in Europe, all of whom had travelled in northern Germany. So far, more than 1,500 cases of E. coli/HUS have been reported in Germany alone and authorities have been unable to identify the source of the virulent strain of E. coli.
Germany’s consumer protection and agriculture minister Ilse Aigner deflected criticism that the government had falsely blamed Spanish cucumbers as the source of the outbreak after some tested positive for the bacteria.
