15 Dead from Rare E. coli Strain in Germany

HAMBURG, GermanyGerman health officials have ruled out cucumbers imported from Spain as the source of a deadly E. coli O104:H4 outbreak that has sickened more than 1,100 in Europe and killed at least 15 people in Germany alone. Another 214 people have developed acute kidney failure, or Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), from the rare strain of the bacteria.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has described the outbreak of the strain of E. coli as one of the largest worldwide. The source of the deadly E. coli strain initially was thought to be cucumbers imported from Spain; however, tests on cucumbers conducted by the Hamburg Health Department didnt find the strain of E. coli responsible for the outbreak although the cucumbers did test positive for E. coli.

Germany's national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, has advised against eating raw cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce, especially if the vegetables were purchased in northern Germany.