Lessons cited as Germany declares end to E coli outbreak - by Lisa Schnirring

Germany's infectious disease institute has declared that the Escherichia coli O104:H4 outbreak is over, now that the incubation period for the most recently confirmed case with links to the sprout seed–related event has passed.

The Robert Koch Institute, the county's federal disease control agency, released a statement in German yesterday saying that the 3-week incubation period had passed since the latest illness onset date—July 4—for a patient with an epidemiologic link to the outbreak, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today in its outbreak update. The agency said German officials are considering cases with onsets later than Jul 4 as having no epidemiologic links to the outbreak or no lab confirmation. 

Because of reporting delays, additional cases are still slowly trickling into the ECDC. Health officials are also still sorting out confirmed and probable cases. So far the ECDC has received reports of 3,910 infections, including 782 with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious kidney complication. So far 46 deaths have been reported. 

For more: CIDRAP >> Lessons cited as Germany declares end to <i>E coli</i> outbreak

Egyptian Seeds Linked to E. Coli Outbreak in Europe - by WILLIAM NEUMAN and SCOTT SAYARE

European investigators fitting together the puzzle pieces of devastating E. coli outbreaks in Germany and France cautiously identified a likely source on Wednesday: contaminated fenugreek seeds from Egypt. Officials also said that the seeds seemed to have entered Europe through a single German importer, which acted as a distributor to other companies. 

A report by the European Food Safety Authority said that sprouts grown from fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt in 2009 and 2010 “are implicated in both outbreaks.” But it added that “there is still much uncertainty about whether this is truly the common cause of the infections” because tests on the seeds had not yet found any of the deadly E. coli, a rare strain known as O104:H4. Food safety experts say, however, that the bacteria can contaminate one seed in thousands and that it is very difficult to isolate in seed samples. 

For more: Egyptian Seeds Linked to E. Coli Outbreak in Europe - NYTimes.com

Germany says: Beansprouts the source of E.coli

It is reported that the German authorities are to lift their warning over the consumption of cucumbers, tomatoes and other fresh salad produce.

No link has been established between the produce and the ongoing outbreak of E.coli in Germany, which has so far claimed 29 lives.

However, the advisory will remain in place for raw beansprouts. The German authorities now saw they are “assured” to be the origin of the outbreak.

For more: Beansprouts the source of E.coli – Germany | euronews, world news

Can genetically manipulated foods be the culprit: German E. coli outbreak is a killer hybrid - blaming game has begun

New Scientist reports that the bacteria were initially identified as a strain of E. coli called STEC, or Shiga-like toxin-producing E. coli, which secrete toxins that cause bloody diarrhoea. Normally about 5 to 10 per cent of STEC infections progress to a severe complication called haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS), in which toxin-induced blood clots in capillaries damage major organs, especially the kidneys.

The German national consulting lab for HUS at the University Hospital in Münster yesterday announced that it had sequenced the outbreak bacteria's genome and in addition to STEC genes, they found genes from another kind of E. coli called entero-aggregative E. coli. These latter bacteria normally adhere to the gut wall, causing watery, persistent diarrhoea. While STEC lurks mainly in cattle guts, entero-aggregative E. coli are known only in humans.

"The rapid whole-genome sequencing results enabled us to discover within days a unique combination of virulence traits," says Alexander Mellmann, one of the researchers in Münster. The team plans to study whether this has caused a true increase in virulence in the hybrid.

Damaging is also that there seems to be a concerted attack against the producers of natural foods by the powerful US based chemical and food industry, which has seen its share of genetically manipulated food sector come under pressure from natural foods and which has not made much headway in convincing EU lawmakers that they should allow genetically modified foods and seeds sold in Europe. E-Coli epidemics do happen all over the world, including the US. and should have nothing to do with the increased sales of natural foods. As a matter of fact it might be also wise to look into the influence of genetically produced foods on infectious diseases such as the E-Coli becoming resistant to anti-bacterial treatments.

EU-Digest

E. coli: Europe outbreak raises questions - by Chris Woolston

Before a couple of days ago, you probably never gave much thought to Spanish cucumbers or German lettuce. But news about a deadly — and perhaps never-before-seen — strain of E. coli that has hit Europe is rattling nerves in this part of the world. American consumers have already shown a willingness to avoid foods that are even rumored to be contaminated with bacteria. The salmonella-tomato scare in 2008, the E. coli-tainted spinach in 2006 .... Consumers might well wonder whether we're due for another outbreak and, for that matter, whether raw produce can even be considered safe.

For more: E. coli: Europe outbreak raises questions - latimes.com

Medical Alert - Europe: new very toxic strain cause E.coli outbreak

A deadly outbreak of E.coli centered in Germany and spreading across Europe is caused by a dangerous new strain, Chinese scientists who analysed the bacteria said.

The scientists said the outbreak, which has killed 17 and made more than 1,500 others ill in at least 10 European countries and is thought to come from vegetables, carried genes making it resistant to several classes of antibiotics.

“This E. coli is a new strain of bacteria that is highly infectious and toxic,” said the scientists at the Beijing Genomics Institute in Shenzhen city in southern China who are collaborating with colleagues in Germany. World Health Organisation spokesperson Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said the WHO was waiting for more information from laboratories. “This strain has never been seen in an outbreak situation before,” he said.

The World Health Organisation said it had also been notified of cases in Austria, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Britain.

All these cases except two are in people who had recently visited northern Germany or in one case, had contact with a visitor from northern Germany, it said. There are many hospitalised patients, several of them requiring intensive care, including dialysis due to kidney complications.

EU officials have said three cases of E.coli linked to the German outbreak have also been reported in the United States.

The experts also say they are shocked by the outbreak, which is on a scale never seen before in the region. 

EU-Digest

Health: Cucumber sales plummet in Europe

Many people across Europe are refusing to buy cucumbers, following a wave of concern after the fruit was linked to an outbreak of e-coli.

Fear of contaminated cucumbers is spreading across Europe. Many people in Paris are wary of buying cucumbers, even though the French government has reported only a handful of suspected cases.

For more: Cucumber sales plummet in Europe