Europe's E. coli outbreaks possibly linked to Egyptian seeds

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Imported fenugreek seeds from Egypt may be the source of highly toxic E. coli outbreaks in Germany and France that have killed at least 48 people, according to initial investigations by European scientists. More than 4,000 people across Europe and in North America have been infected in the deadliest outbreak of E. coli so far recorded, which started in early May. Almost all of those sickened lived in Germany or had recently travelled there. The German outbreak and a smaller cluster of E. coli centered around the French city of Bordeaux have both been linked to sprouted seeds. Experts from the Sweden-based European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Italy-based European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said initial investigations suggested that "the consumption of sprouts is the suspected vehicle of infection in both the French cluster and the German outbreak.

Imported fenugreek seeds from Egypt may be the source of highly toxic E. coli outbreaks in Germany and France that have killed at least 48 people, according to initial investigations by European scientists.

More than 4,000 people across Europe and in North America have been infected in the deadliest outbreak of E. coli so far recorded, which started in early May. Almost all of those sickened lived in Germany or had recently traveled there.

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The German outbreak and a smaller cluster of E. coli centered around the French city of Bordeaux have both been linked to sprouted seeds.

Experts from the Sweden-based European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Italy-based European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said initial investigations suggested that "the consumption of sprouts is the suspected vehicle of infection in both the French cluster and the German outbreak.

"The tracing back is progressing and has thus far shown that fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt either in 2009 and/or 2010 are implicated in both outbreaks," they said in a joint statement posted on the ECDC's website late on Wednesday.

EFSA spokeswoman Lucia de Luca was not able to confirm or deny media reports that the seeds had come from Egypt via a single German seed importer. "The investigations are still ongoing," she told Reuters.

German organic seed trader agaSAAT told Reuters it had distributed seeds to Thomson & Morgan, a British seed trader cited as a possible source for the outbreak in France, but had been cleared by health authorities.

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Article continues: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/30/us-ecoli-europe-egypt-idUSTRE75T1N020110630