Death Toll Rises to 13 in E.coli Outbreak

[Recursion]

Source: New York Times

BRUSSELS — The health authorities in Europe stepped up efforts on Monday to halt a deadly outbreak of a virulent form of E. coli bacteria in cucumbers as a dispute broke out between Spain and Germany over the source of the illness.

The federal and state authorities in Germany — where effects are by far most severe — said the death toll climbed to 13 by Monday, from 10 on Sunday, in one of the largest outbreaks its kind reported worldwide.

Hundreds of people have been struck down across the European Union with symptoms like bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps. Vegetables were pulled from shelves in a number of countries, though no official Continent-wide bans were announced. The effects of the outbreak were being felt as far away as the United States, where two people who had recently been traveling in Germany, and a third person, had fallen sick with the illness, the European Commission said.

The German-Spanish dispute highlighted tensions that the outbreak has created between nations in the bloc, where there is a single market in goods and most citizens move freely across borders, but where health policy and disease control mainly remain in the hands of national governments. In fact, the commission, the European Union’s executive arm, could confirm only three deaths from the bacteria on Monday, saying it was awaiting formal notification from Germany.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/world/europe/31iht-ecoli31.html?_r=1

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Odd that everyone stresses out about meat safety (which is a good thing) but then seems to forget how many outbreaks come from green vegetables.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Which country/countries is the origin of those vegetables?

[Recursion]

3. Spain (nt)

[LiberalEsto]

2. Tip: Always boil your cucumbers

for at least 3 hours.

Drain

Discard