Suspicion falls on Spanish cucumbers for German E.coli deaths
The health ministry in Spain confirmed yesterday that cucumbers from two producers in the southern region of Andalusia had been identified by the European Commission as the possible origin of the outbreak of the virulent enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) bacteria.
However, while Spanish officials acknowledged the vegetables were produced in the country, they said more research was needed to confirm where in the supply chain the bacterial contamination occurred. The hypothesis that this had happened at the handling and preparation stages away from Spain was not being ruled out, said Madrid.
Virulent
The development follows in the wake a major E.coli outbreak in northern Germany this week as authorities raised the alarm over a significant leap in the number of people diagnosed with the virulent haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) strain.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which monitors diseases in the European Union, said it had reports of 214 cases of the Shiga-producing and verotoxin-producing E.coli bacteria. HUS affects the blood, kidneys and, in severe cases, the central nervous system
"Of the 214 cases, 186 are 18 years of age or older and 146 are female," said the body.
German officials have linked the outbreak to four deaths while the ECDC said its most up to date information indicated two fatalities; one woman in her 80s and the another in her 20s.
Vegetable warning
On Wednesday, scientists at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) together with the Hamburg health authorities said investigations had shown a link between those struck down by the bacteria and greater consumption of raw tomatoes, cucumbers and green salads.
Suspicion fell on Spain after four contaminated cucumbers analyzed by the Hamburg Institute for Hygiene and the Environment (HU) were found to have come from the country. The country of origin of the other cucumber remained unknown.
German health officials have warned consumers to avoid eating cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuces and some of these products have been removed from the shelves of shops.
Figures from 2008 show that Spain exports 182,000 tonnes of cucumbers to Germany every year – accounting for 40 per cent of total German imports of the vegetable.
