E. coli outbreak: German farm in Uelzen 'likely source'
 

The BBC's Stephen Evans: "It looks as though it is this farm that is the epicentre of the outbreak".

A farm in northern Germany has been identified as the most likely source of many of the infections in the E. coli outbreak that has left 22 people dead.

The farm, producing beansprouts, is located in Uelzen, south of Hamburg, the epicentre of the outbreak that has also made more than 2,000 people ill.

German officials were awaiting results of tests on the farm's produce that would offer more conclusive proof.

The farm has been closed and Germans advised to stop eating beansprouts.

EU agriculture ministers are to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the outbreak and its effect on production, the EU presidency has said.
Hospitals overwhelmed

The agriculture minister for Lower Saxony, Gert Lindemann, said: "Further evidence has emerged which points to a plant nursery in Uelzen as the source of the EHEC cases, or at least one of the sources," he said.

Definite proof would depend on test results, but "a connection has been found involving all the main outbreaks".

The farm is about 100km (62m) south of Hamburg and supplies restaurants and markets in the city and neighbouring German states.
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/6...nyuelzen06.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13663630

Note: Update Record,6 June 2011 Last updated at 08:49 GMT

Progress has been made on cucumber front,:hmmm:

Glad I don't like cucumber:yawn:

It's your choice to eat, and use!

The bean sprouts have been almost ruled out, back to square one on the horizon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13672161

bean sprouts
 

Exactly :yep:

Over one million Germans suffer from food poisoning every year. Most of these are not about toxic chemical agents, but bacterias. Authorities in that field and institutions dealing with this as well as pandemics (which happen all around us day in and day out) say that in 3 out of 4 cases the origin and cause of such events never get identified.

Why bean sprouts?
 

First it was Spanish cucumbers, then salad vegetables and now bean sprouts are the prime suspect in the search for a source of the E. coli outbreak.

German officials believe there is a connection with infected patients and bean sprouts grown at one farm in Uelzen, south of Hamburg.

Early results have come back negative. Forty samples were taken from the farm, 23 results are in, and none have E. coli.

Investigators say tests are still ongoing and warn that answers may be difficult to find, as it is several weeks since the potentially contaminated sprouts were grown.

It is not the first time bean sprouts - including adzuki, alfalfa, lentils and mung beans - have been associated with a health scare.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13665785

Note: Update Record, 6 June 2011 Last updated at 14:01 GMT

If and when the source is eventually found it wouldn't suprise me if it an infected foreign migrant working in a packing/processing plant.

Uh, because migrants are dirty, germy and dont care about hygiene? :hmmm:


:yeah:

Nah it was from G-d.

Cruelty given back.

Migrant's a too convenient excuse.

It can provide "some" signal to operators in the area, which you touch, and eventually have a positive direction in imigrations policy, :hmmm:

E. coli outbreak: Europe-wide controls 'not needed'
 

The EU health commissioner has said the current E. coli outbreak is limited geographically to northern Germany and does not need Europe-wide controls.

John Dalli also warned against releasing unproven information on the outbreak, saying it spread fear and adversely affected farm producers.

He was speaking ahead of emergency talks by EU agriculture ministers.

Efforts continue to find the source of the E. coli outbreak, which has killed 22 people and sickened 2,200.

All the deaths, bar one in Sweden, have been in Germany. Twelve countries have been affected, with the cases outside Germany linked to travel there.

The latest focus has been on bean sprouts from a German farm in Uelzen, south of Hamburg. However, of 40 samples examined from the farm, the first 23 tested negative.
'Honour of the cucumber'

Mr Dalli told the European Parliament: "I stress that the outbreak is limited geographically to the area surrounding the city of Hamburg, so there is no reason to take action on a European level. [EU-wide] measures against any product are disproportionate."

But he admitted that bans on certain products were a Europe-wide problem.Russia has banned imports of fresh vegetables from the EU.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13677348

Note: Update Record, 7 June 2011 Last updated at 09:17 GMT

Nope...possibly because the disease is more prevalent in certain parts of Africa for example.