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Deadly German E. coli is a new strain, says WHO
Briefing: What do we know about the E. coli responsible for an outbreak that has poisoned thousands?
The E. coli bacteria responsible for a deadly outbreak of food poisoning in Germany is a completely new strain, according to the World Health Organisation.
The outbreak has killed 16 Germans and a Swede and poisoned 1,500 more. However, officials are no closer to finding the source of the bacterial infection since ruling out Spanish cucumbers yesterday. Russia is taking no chances, announcing today a total ban on fresh vegetable imports from EU countries.
WHAT IS E. COLI?Escherichia coli (magnified 10,000 times, above) is a type of bacterium found in the gut of all humans. Most E. coli strains are completely harmless, but some can cause serious illnesses.
WHAT do we know about the new strain of e.coli?The World Health Organisation, which has described the outbreak as "very large and very severe", believes the type of E. coli responsible is a completely new strain of the bacterium.
The strain appears to have genes from two different groups: enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). The latter causes bloody diarrhoea and stomach cramps, making fatal dehydration a real risk. In more serious cases it can also lead to haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) which can result in sudden kidney failure, liver damage and problems with the nervous system.
At least 470 of the 1,500 poisoning cases in Germany so far have been diagnosed as HUS.
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, a spokesman for the WHO said: "This strain has never been seen in an outbreak situation before." The Beijing Genomics Institute says the new strain is "highly infectious and toxic".
WHERE IS THE E. COLI COMING FROM?That's a matter of dispute. Germany initially pointed the finger at Spain, saying people were becoming ill after eating cucumbers from greenhouses in the cities of Almeria and Malaga.
German authorities now admit this is not true. Reinhard Burger, president of the Robert Koch Institute, told the BBC "we may never know" the source of the infections.
Denis Coulombier of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control told Reuters that studies had suggested a strong link between E. coli and the consumption of fresh vegetables, but also hinted at the difficulty in pinning down a more specific source: "To have such a high number of severe cases means that probably there was a huge contamination at some junction. That could have been anywhere from the farm to the fork – in transport, packaging, cleaning, at wholesalers or retailers – anywhere along that food chain."
How long will the E. coli outbreak last?According to Burger, it could be weeks or months before the current source of E. coli - whether it is vegetables in a specific warehouse or faecal matter in the soil of a greenhouse - is exhausted. He does, however, believe the number of infections will come down.
Who is most at risk? The Health Protection Agency says this strain of E. coli appears to be most harmful to young women. Dr Dilys Morgan told the BBC: "[HUS] mainly affects young children and older adults, but what we've seen is predominantly young females getting this condition."
Professor Hugh Pennington, a microbiologist at Aberdeen University suggests children may be escaping illness because of the type of food carrying the E. coli.
How can I avoid E. coli?The Health Protection Agency is advising people to wash fruit and vegetables before eating. They say peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables can also remove E. coli. People should also wash hands regularly to prevent person-to-person spread of the germ.
IS BRITAIN AT RISK?Seven people in Britain have been infected with E. coli, with three developing HUS. All are thought to have picked up the bacteria while in Germany, according to the Health Protection Agency. Travellers to Germany, especially the north, are being advised to avoid raw tomatoes, cucumbers and salad leaves. ·
