Global General

Germany says sprouts most likely source of E.coli

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-06-10 16:54

BERLIN  - German health officials say they have new results in the search for the source of a deadly European E. coli outbreak that has killed 29 people and sickened nearly 3,000.

An undated file picture taken with electronic microscope shows EHEC bacteria (enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli) in Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Brunswick. [Photo/Agencies]

New data has confirmed that bean sprouts are the most likely source of the deadly E.coli outbreak in Germany, German health authorities said on Friday. 

"It's the bean sprouts," said Reinhard Burger, head of the Robert Koch Institute, the German centre for disease control. "People who consumed sprouts were nine times more likely to have bloody diarrhoea than those who did not," he added. "The outbreak is not over."

The Robert Koch Institute's disease control center and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment have called a press conference for later Friday to announce their findings.

Neither would comment ahead of time on the developments, nor on German media reports that that the warning against eating cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce has been lifted - indicating those vegetables have been determined safe.

Since the beginning of May, 2, 808 people have been sickened in Germany. The World Health Organization says 97 others have fallen ill in 12 other European countries, as well as three people in the United States.