E. coli outbreak in cucumbers sees a rising death toll
Posted 11 months ago by Soraya in General Health News
Sad news of a European outbreak in E. coli which has now killed 17 people, almost all in Germany. Thousands more are thought to be infected by enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). What is interesting is the repeated notion in the media that the illnesses and fatalities across Europe appear to be caused by a certain strain of E. coli in particular, again backing up the notion that variations in bacteria are at a strain-specific level. Indeed some strains of E. coli can safely reside in the body, and others are even thought to be beneficial; a potential example being the strain E. coli Nissle 1917, considered a probiotic. Paul Hunter, Professor in health protection at the University of East Anglia has stated, "There might also be something genetically different about this particular strain of E. coli that makes it more virulent." Researchers are still trying to track down the source of the E. coli outbreak - Spain was intially blamed, and forced to throw out tonnes of fresh vegetables, but no traces of pathogenic E. coli have been indentified in their cucumbers.
The U.K's Health Protection Agency has special advice for travellers to Germany, but for the moment British authorities have not advised consumers to avoid raw fruit and vegetables. Carefully washing raw fruit and vegetables is recommended. For information visit http://www.hpa.org.uk/
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