E. coli Outbreak in Germany - Update 10th June
Friday, 10 June 2011
The German authorities today reported that warning against the consumption of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce is being rescinded and that further epidemiological studies have strongly linked illness with the consumption of organic bean sprouts from one local producer. The German authorities are recommending that raw bean sprouts should not be consumed and that households and food business operators in Germany are advised to dispose of any remaining bean sprouts in stock including any food that may have come into contact with the bean sprouts.
The German authorities also report that traceability shows direct links between the supply of bean sprouts from the production plant to the restaurant and catering outlets where many of the outbreak victims had eaten. The production plant is now closed and the bean sprouts have been withdrawn from the market. None of the bean sprouts from this production plant were exported from Germany.
Since 2 May 2011, 795 cases of HUS (Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome) and 2,287 non-HUS VTEC cases have been reported from European Union Member States, including 759 HUS cases and 2,229 non-HUS VTEC cases in Germany. 22 of the HUS cases and 9 non-HUS VTEC cases in EU Member states have died.
In Ireland, there have been no reported cases of human illness associated with the German outbreak strain of E. coli (VTEC) O104:H4.
The investigation in Germany is continuing. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as and when necessary.
Further information:
See our FAQ on E. coli (VTEC)
A breakdown of cases is available from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control