germany outbreak: ShortFormBlog

10:37 • 2 years ago

This is a unique strain that has never been isolated from patients before … [it has] various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing.

World Health Organization food safety expert Hilde Kruse • Describing what makes the mutant strain of E.coli — the one found mostly in Germany at this point — much more dangerous than previous versions. The disease, which sickened more than 1,500 and left nearly 500 with a rare type of kidney failure, is the third-largest outbreak of E.coli ever. So, where did it come from? “One should think of an animal source,” Kruse suggested. “Many animals are hosts of various types of toxin-producing E. coli.” source (via • follow)

11:02 • 2 years ago

German E.coli outbreak making people sick, pissing off Spain

Tags: cucumbers E. coli e.coli bacteria e.coli outbreak germany germany outbreak spain spanish cucumbers 10 • Permalink

1,500 people, mostly in Germany, have been sickened by E.coli — a dramatic increase
16 people have died in the outbreak; 365 new cases of the disease were discovered Wednesday
??? the source of the outbreak — initially thought to be Spanish cucumber source

» Contradictions and conflict: Despite the findings of new cases by the Robert Koch Institute, a German disease control agency, European Union Health Commissioner John Dalli was recently on record for saying this: ”According to the latest information we have available from Germany, it appears that the outbreak is on the decline. Fewer people have been hospitalized over the past couple of days than before.” Uh, not so much. Also, Spain (already struggling with the highest unemployment of the European Union) is very upset that their cucumbers were slandered by Germany, and is considering legal action. Either way, if you’re in Europe — particularly Germany — you might want to be extra-careful when eating food.

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