from newpaper source

Published 31 May 2011

cucumbers E.coli food poisoning


The source of E.coli in cucumbers which has caused 14 deaths and infected hundreds remained a mystery yesterday (30 May) as scientists sought to speed up testing mechanisms and tensions rose over trade in European vegetables.

All the deaths have occurred in Germany, where there are 329 confirmed infections, but cases have now spread to the US – where three victims have been identified.

The majority of infections and fatalities have hit women in middle-to-old age, whose kidneys were damaged by toxins after they developed Hemolytic-uremic Syndrome (HUS) following infection by the E.coli (see 'Background').

Most of the infections outside Germany affected Germans travelling abroad or foreigners who have recently been in Germany. All but one of the deaths were recorded in northern Germany, but fears that the outbreak was spreading increased when an elderly woman died in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia yesterday.

Sweden has reported 30 cases out of which 13 developed HUS, Denmark 11 cases (five with HUS), the UK three (two HUS), the Netherlands one HUS case and Austria two STEC cases