An ‘E coli’ outbreak, said to be caused by bean sprouts, killed over 30 people in which European country in June 2011?
2011 Germany E. coli O104:H4 outbreak 2011 Germany E. coli O104:H4 outbreak A novel strain of bacteria caused a serious outbreak of foodborne illness focused in northern Germany in May through June 2011. The illness was characterized by bloody diarrhea, with a high frequency of serious complications, including hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition that requires urgent treatment. The outbreak was originally thought to have been caused by an enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) strain of "E. coli", but it was later shown to have been caused by an enteroaggregative "E. coli" (EAEC) strain that had acquired the genes to produce Shiga toxins, present in organic fenugreek sprouts. Epidemiological fieldwork
2011 Germany E. coli O104:H4 outbreak outbreak in Europe. German hospitals were nearly overwhelmed by the number of "E. coli" victims. A spokesman for the agriculture ministry in Lower Saxony, warned people on 5 June to stop eating local bean sprouts, as they had become the latest suspected cause of the "E. coli" outbreak. A farm in Bienenbuettel, Lower Saxony, was announced as the probable source, but on 6 June, officials said this could not be substantiated by tests. Of the 40 samples from the farm that were being examined, 23 had tested negative. But on 10 June, the head of the Robert Koch Institute confirmed