E.Coli outbreak traced to north German farm

[pscot]

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.

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. Mr Lindemann said the farm grows a wide variety of beansprouts from seeds imported from different countries. The beansprouts include adzuki, alfalfa, broccoli, peas, lentils and mung beans, all grown in the nursery for consumption in salads. Mr Lindemann said the sprouts produced there are grown in temperatures of about 38C, “which is ideal for all bacteria”.
Hospitals overwhelmed

The BBC’s Stephen Evans in Berlin says the announcement may cause embarrassment to German authorities, who had earlier pointed to Spanish farms as the source of the outbreak

http://www.agricorner.com/e-coli-outbreak-german-farm-in-uelzen-likely-source/

[MineralMan]

1. I believe this story was debunked yesterday.

The site where you found it may not have gotten the news.

See this:

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/safety/story/2011/06/German-officials-Sprouts-not-cause-of-Ecoli-outbreak/48098098/1

[pscot]

2. Denial isn't the same as debunkal

One of the first deaths was a that of a worker at that "farm". The farm is actually an industrial food production facility. The fact that sprouts they're testing now, a month after the fact, are clean doesn't exonerate the "farm". German officials are under huge pressure from their agricultural production industry. There are vast damage claims in the offing and they are spinning as fast as they can.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. The OP story is out of date, but there are still indications that farm could be at the centre of it

The tests on beansprouts at the farm now have proved negative, but, from a few minutes ago:

Fresh Clues Point to German Sprout Farm

Ministry spokesman Gert Hahne said a total of 18 people infected with EHEC, the deadly strain of the bacterium, around the northern port of Cuxhaven ate sprouts from the farm in a company canteen.

In addition, three female workers at the farm suffered from diarrhea in the first half of May, and one of them is known to have been contaminated with EHEC. Their work included packaging the sprouts.

The ministry spokesman said it was possible that one of the women accidentally "fed the pathogen into the operations of the company." Or they might have been infected with EHEC at the farm.
...
The Lower Saxony ministry spokesman said that despite the additional clues pointing to the sprout farm, it was still possible that the nationwide epidemic stemmed from several sources.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,767434,00.html

[NightWatcher]

3. glad it was stopped before it spread into Poland

what? too soon

[Dreamer Tatum]

4. +1 nice

[Le Taz Hot]

5. LOL!!!

:rofl: Sorry, I love dungeon humor.