E. coli outbreaks linked to Egypt

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13973002

30 June 2011 Last updated at 10:51 ET Share this pageEmail Print Share this page

E. coli outbreaks linked to Egypt

By Gallagher

Health reporter, BBC News

E. coli outbreaks in Germany and France could have come from seeds sourced in

Egypt, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said.

A report said there was still " much uncertainty " , but fenugreek seeds imported

in 2009 and 2010 " had been implicated in both outbreaks " .

More than 4,000 people were infected during the German outbreak, 48 died.

Investigators traced the source back to a bean sprout farm in Bienenbuettel,

Lower Saxony.

The outbreak in Bordeaux affected 15 people and was linked to seeds sold by a

firm in the UK - and , although it said there was no evidence of

a link.

Linked

Both outbreaks involved the rare strain of E. coli known as O104:H4.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the strain

was so rare in humans the outbreaks were unlikely to have been isolated

incidents and both were linked to eating sprouting seeds.

Further investigations have been trying to determine if the source of the

infection was contamination at the sites, or if they had been supplied with

contaminated seeds.

The report said the German outbreak had come from seeds imported from Egypt in

2010. The outbreak in Bordeaux was linked to seeds exported in 2009 from Egypt

to the UK and then sold to France.

Seeds from the UK company and are being tested by the Food

Standards Agency.

In a statement the firm said: " We can confirm that our own supplier sourced this

Egyptian seed, which was then supplied to us.

" Further, we can confirm that this sprouting seed was then exclusively supplied

into the French garden centre market. "

The report added there could be more outbreaks of the deadly E. coli as " other

batches of potentially contaminated seeds are still available within the

European Union and perhaps outside " .

The ECDC and the European Food Safety Authority " strongly recommend advising

consumers not to grow sprouts for their own consumption and not to eat sprouts

or sprouted seeds unless they have been cooked thoroughly " until their

investigations are complete.