Spanish cucumbers are believed to responsible for the lethal E coli outbreak in Germany, with cases also being reported from Britain, France, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.
The E-coli outbreak is linked to a batch of contaminated cucumbers believed to have been imported from Spain, although Spanish officials have rebutted the charges and said there’s no evidence of this.
The German officials have identified the pathogen as HUS - hemolytic-uremic syndrome, a dangerous complication of a kind of E coli called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
HUS affects the kidneys, blood and in more serious cases, the infection attacks the nervous system & can be particularly severe for children and older people.
Vegetable such as cucumbers, raw tomatoes and lettuce are often the sources of this deadly E.coli poisoning. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea containing blood, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
The outbreak has led to trade being disrupted across Europe, causing Spanish farmers to abandon millions of dollars’ worth of cucumbers due to cancelled orders, and tensions between Germany and Spain have flared.
Across Europe, countries have started removing Spanish cucumbers from their shelves.
Meanwhile Spain was contemplating taking action over its cucumbers being held responsible for the outbreak.
Horticultural farms in Andalusia, Spain, have been making losses of €7-8m per day since German officials linked the E-coli bacteria to Spanish grown cucumbers.
German authorities have issued warnings to consumers to pass up eating tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces and have ordered the removal of some products from store shelves.
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