Deadly E Coli Outbreak In Europe

[Barbara]

It is about a week after the contact with the bacteria that you get it. Of course it would be very difficult to find for thousands of people where it comes from. So they really have no idea. Northern germany seems to be at the center. (I'm in Southern Germany). The bacteria is a very new cross between two others.

[Kirsten]

Yes, I think the entire thing is so scary! It's a very aggressive strain of enterohemorrhagic e.coli (EHEC), and obviously a mutated form which makes it so difficult to treat. Thousands are ill by now, and more than 500 in Germany have developed this so-called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which makes people's kidneys fail and affects the blood cells. So far, 18 people in Germany have died, most of them women (no one knows why). And I heard that all the ill people from other countries have been in Germany before, so the epicenter of the outbreak is definitely here (in the North of Germany, but there are also ill people in other parts).

And obviously it's not the cucumbers from Spain as they first suspected. But it's still said that most of the ill people ate tomatoes, cucumbers and green salad, which is why the health organisations and the government still recommend not to eat these vegetables, especially not raw. It's kind of scary not to know which food is still safe.

As this is a new, mutated strain (obviously a clone of two EHEC strains), some suspect that it may be a terrorist attack but this has not been confirmed. The entire thing is so mysterious, and it's scary.

And it kind of ruins many farmers. No one here's buing salad or cucumbers these days!

Here's some more info:
E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Aggressive New Strain

[Kirsten]

Don't want to get my hopes up too soon, but there are some breaking news right now that they have most likely found the source! All of the greater outbreaks could be linked to one company in Lower Saxony, Germany, that produces (bean?) sprouts. There's going to be a press conference at 6 pm, which is in 45 minutes. I really really hope that they can confirm this, so the rest of all our food is safe.

Recent death toll in Germany: 21

[lizbud]

Don't want to get my hopes up too soon, but there are some breaking news right now that they have most likely found the source! All of the greater outbreaks could be linked to one company in Lower Saxony, Germany, that produces (bean?) sprouts. There's going to be a press conference at 6 pm, which is in 45 minutes. I really really hope that they can confirm this, so the rest of all our food is safe.

Recent death toll in Germany: 21

Did you earn anything new from the press conference?

I found a very interesting article on BBC about E Coli. Did you know they
can use it to cure diseases? It sounds like it can be part machine and part
living organism. Sounds like the stuff of science fiction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13639241

[Kirsten]

Did you earn anything new from the press conference?

I found a very interesting article on BBC about E Coli. Did you know they
can use it to cure diseases? It sounds like it can be part machine and part
living organism. Sounds like the stuff of science fiction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13639241

No, I didn't know that, it's interesting. But as far as I know, there are many different strains of e.coli, maybe some are not as bad as others...

Re. the press conference: It sounds very likely to me that it could have been these sprouts (from an organic farm in Northern Germany). It's not confirmend yet (they're waiting for some test results which they're expecting to have later today), but it sounded like this farm could indeed be the source. I feel bad for those who run the farm, a group of vegetarians who wanted to produce healthy food, and now they're probably the cause of this nightmare. Most likely, you cannot even blame them because the bacteria might have already come with the seeds from which the sprouts were made.

Test results expected in E. coli probe; German sprouts suspected