Update: European E. coli Outbreak - Raw Sprouts Could Be The Source Of The Deadly E. coli outbreak

German-grown beansprouts could be the source of the deadly E. coli outbreak that has killed 22 people, made more than 2,200 ill and led Russia to bar EU fruit and vegetable imports, officials said.

The Lower Saxony state agriculture minister, Gert Lindemann, told a news conference investigators had traced the rare, highly toxic strain of the bacteria to a farm in the Uelzen district. Media reports said the farm was near the town of Bienenbuettel, 70km south of Hamburg.

Health facilities in Hamburg, Germany's second city and the centre of the outbreak that began three weeks ago, are struggling to cope with the flood of victims, health minister Daniel Bahr said.

Mr Lindemann, speaking after three weeks of mysterious deaths and widespread consumer fears linked to the rare strain of E.coli, said there appeared to be clear links between vegetables from the farm and food eaten by some victims.

"We've got a really hot lead," Mr Lindemann said, reporting on the investigation into a health scare that has strained ties between two EU members and led prime minister Vladimir Putin to say he would not "poison" Russians by lifting an embargo on EU fruit and vegetable imports.

Mr Lindemann said that not only beansprouts, but also alfalfa sprouts, mung bean sprouts, radish sprouts and arugula sprouts from the farm might be connected to the outbreak. Raw sprouts are popular among Germans and often mixed in salads or added to sandwiches.

www.abc.net.au...

Well, it seems they got a new hot lead - tainted sprouts!

Let's hope that they finally have found the real cause to this horrible outbreak!

E coli outbreak linked to bean sprouts, says German minister - Many of restaurants involved had deliveries from factory in Uelzen, a town in Lower Saxony in north Germany

German bean sprouts were yesterday identified as the likely source of the E coli outbreak that has killed 22 people, caused chaos among Europe's vegetable growers and sparked a diplomatic row between Russia and the EU.

The state of Lower Saxony issued an urgent warning to stop eating bean sprouts on Sunday as it believes them to be the link between all the restaurants and food outlets in the outbreak. "We've a very strong lead linking a bean sprout company to the cases of E coli infection," said Gerd Lindemann, the state's agricultural minister.

Many of the restaurants in the outbreak had the sprouts delivered from Uelzen, a town in Lower Saxony in north Germany. A factory there produces 18 sorts of sprouts, from alfalfa and aduki bean sprouts, to sprouts from radish and sunflower seeds. Their cultivation in large steam drums at 38C creates ideal conditions for various types of bacteria to grow.

However, Lindemann also said, consumers should also continue to avoid raw cucumbers, tomatoes and salad leaves, as advised by Germany's main health body, the Robert Koch Institute.

www.guardian.co.uk...

But they apparently still say that consumers should continue to avoid raw cucumbers, tomatoes and salad leaves for now?

Perhaps safety precautions to be on the safe side until more information from additional tests are available next week?

reply to post by Chevalerous


nice find but is it just me or does ecoli come from ANIMALS stomachs ??????? just pointing it out lol....

i've been growing Mung Bean sprouts for years now...no problem-o


i think its about unsanitary workers who work on the cheap because that's all they can get...

i've seen the big money candy makers hire on speed freaks that have hepatitus work on the daily candy line,,,
they get paid and snort their paychecks.... this was out there in Phoenix

i'm sure the same lax procedures regarding sanitation & cleanliness are issues not enforced too much in the vegetable processors (bean sprouts) facilities too.

Originally posted by periloustimes
reply to post by Chevalerous

 

nice find but is it just me or does ecoli come from ANIMALS stomachs ??????? just pointing it out lol....

Escherichia coli is a type of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of both animals and humans!

So you can theoretically also get the infection from public toilets/restrooms and from other persons with poor hand-hygiene after such visits (especially if they prepare food for you)

The E. coli bacteria can also mutate and swap genetic DNA with other E. colis & other nasty bacteria in sewage sludge and sewage water.

Manure from infected cattle is also a source for infection.

It can also find its way into water in streams and drinking wells as a result of run-off from fields containing cattle.

Apparently, further test results from the farm are expected on Monday!

I found these videos regarding this new lead as well:


"German beansprouts 'likely cause' of E.coli outbreak"

I can see why beansprouts would be suspected. I've asked for them in grocery stores and sandwich shops, and the often reply would be; we don't have those because of the e. coli risks associated as a 'raw' product. That's just in the last ten years or so.

Originally posted by dreamingawake
I can see why beansprouts would be suspected. I've asked for them in grocery stores and sandwich shops, and the often reply would be; we don't have those because of the e. coli risks associated as a 'raw' product. That's just in the last ten years or so.

Yes, but apparently it's still a mystery on how these sprouts got infected with this new & very special rare bacteria strain in the first place?

We're dealing with this new rare strain that has never been found in any animals nor in any food products before.

This E. coli 0104:H4 strain must have orginated from some unknown source where the mutation to create just this special strain took place.

And where/what would that be?

In this case if the sprouts really are the real culprit which they're looking for, could it then be the water source that is contaminated with sewage water or ?

The owner of this organic farm is devastated and don't understand how the sprouts got infected with this new strain to be the carrier?

German farm under scrutiny over E.coli

Authorities await test results over farm allegedly linked to outbreak of deadly bacteria that has killed 22 people.

A German farm is facing an inquiry over the outbreak of E.coli that has killed 22 people, after officials said bean sprouts could be behind the crisis.

Authorities have shut the Gaertnerhof Bienenbuettel farm, which lies 70km south of Hamburg, and recalled produce, while test results are expected later on Monday.

But Klaus Verbeck, the managing director of the farm, has said he cannot understand the accusations levelled at the centre.

"I can't understand how the processes we have here and the accusations could possibly fit together," he told the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung paper on Monday.

"The salad sprouts are grown only from seeds and water, and they aren't fertilised at all. There aren't any animal fertilisers used in other areas on the farm either."

Locals have also expressed shock that the farm could be responsible for the bacteria, which has left around 2,000 people ill across Europe.

Sibylle Lange, a neighbour, told the Reuters news agency that the accusations had "deeply affected" people in the community.

"These are very serious, hardworking people who were very early producers of organic products," Lange said.

"They've been working here for some 30 years. It's a high-quality product. I've eaten all sorts of vegetables from here - bean sprouts included - and they taste delicious. I
can't imagine the source could come from here."

english.aljazeera.net...

How tragic and horrible this outbreak may be, I can't help myself thinking that there could perhaps be some agenda in work here behind this latest crusade against organic farmers and their industry.

Officials in Lower Saxony believe that raw bean sprouts were the likely cause of the ongoing E. coli epidemic in Germany.

Sprouts from a farm in the western German state had been eaten by many of the people infected with the deadly bacteria. However, final results of tests are first expected Monday afternoon.

The produce in question had been delivered by a farm in the Uelzen district to restaurants and stores linked to the outbreak. Two women at the company, which sells a variety of sprouts meant for raw consumption, have since fallen ill with diarrhea -- and one has been diagnosed with an E. coli infection. Operations have been suspended at the farm pending further test results.

According to the Lower Saxony Agriculture Ministry, the company cultivates 18 types of sprouts in barrels at a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), and waters them with steam. "Those are also optimal conditions for the germ of all germs," Lindemann said. Authorities don't yet know how the sprouts could have been contaminated, but they were not fertilized with manure as some had speculated. Other possibilities could include contaminated water or seeds delivered from abroad, Lindemann said.

Farm manager Klaus Verbeck told the daily Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung he could not explain how the pathogen could have tainted his products because no animal fertilizers are used there. "Not even horn meal," he said, referring to a fertilizer made from animal horns and hooves.

www.spiegel.de...

As we can read from some information, so far! that it's actually looks like some contaminated source of water could/must have been involved with this outbreak from the very beginning.

So it's really not enough to just take samples from the farm - they must also find the contaminated water source where this very rare E. coli 0104:H4 strain was created from a possible mutation with other E. coli bacteria to prove their theory and find the evidence.

Or find the foreign seeds from abroad that were contaminated with the same special, very unique strain that they never discovered before in any food products?

So if that is the case, where does these imported seeds which are contaminated with this special and very unique E. coli 0104:H4 strain come from?

Beansprouts are not the Source. They are free of any E.Coli. This was just announced on the News here,so no Link yet.

Update: 23 of 40 probes are E.Coli free. The other 17 will still be tested,but it looks like they aren´t the Source after all.

I saw this today, just released. I don't enough about the topic or bioengineering but feel free.

Forensic evidence emerges that European e.coli superbug was bioengineered to produce human fatalities

This particular e.coli variation is a member of the O104 strain, and O104 strains are almost never (normally) resistant to antibiotics. In order for them to acquire this resistance, they must be repeatedly exposed to antibiotics in order to provide the "mutation pressure" that nudges them toward complete drug immunity.

Source: www.naturalnews.com...

reply to post by Shenon


Many thanks for posting this - thanks for contributing!

I found this - just in! :

German E.coli tests unlikely to finish soon - ministry

BERLIN, June 6 (Reuters) - Test results on German bean sprouts suspected to have caused an E.coli outbreak are unlikely to be concluded in the short term, the Lower Saxony state agriculture ministry said on Monday.

Of 40 samples tested so far 23 had tested negative for the bacteria. The other were still being tested.

af.reuters.com...

I am really suffering with the organic farmers in Europe, until the German authorities will find and come up with the real source to this outbreak!

Poor farmers! - the fear mongering with all these false indications and accusations which are flying around, will unfortunately have a severe impact on their whole industry

I mean! couldn't the German authorities just have delayed the info about the sprouts for just a couple of more hours until the tests were concluded before they went to the media?

I mean, they've already told the public to stay away from raw tomatoes, lettuce, & cucumbers and raw uncooked vegetables until they had more information and knew for sure - wasn't that enough?

Well, I certainly also understand that it's obviously a difficult situation for the authorities to do what's right in this case - to alert the public immediately when you suspect something to possibly avoid that more people could be getting sick vs keeping quiet for some more hours until you know for sure 100%?

Very tricky and unfortunate situation indeed!

COLDIRETTI REPORTS 100 MILLION DAMAGES CAUSED BY E. COLI

(AGI) Rome - Coldiretti has reported that losses cause by E.Coli in the Italian food sector may amount to 100 million euros due to a fal in exports and consumption in Italy, the effects of which are sadly expected to continue in the near future. Coldiretti provided data i view of an EU summit of Minister of Agriculture to be held tomorrow in Luxembourg to address the serious consequences suffered by European producers . .

www.agi.it...

wow! this is some serious money involved for countries who are affacted by this horrible outbreak - and this is just for Italy - one country!

German Farmers Hit Hard by E. Coli Outbreak

Vegetable farmers in Germany are losing up to 5 million euros a day as a result of the E. coli scare which has gripped the country. Even though lettuce and other produce from many farms has been given a clean bill of health, consumers and retailers have stopped buying greens.

Rudolf Behr says that it's easy enough to prove the cleanliness of his vegetables. Just take a look at his staff: Every day, they take home some of his produce. "If there were anything to this, we'd be up to our ears in diarrhea here."

His workers from Poland and Romania are doing great, says Behr -- except for the fact that he has hardly any more work for them. For almost two weeks now, he hasn't been able to move any of his produce. At the distribution center, palettes of wilting, brown lettuce are stacked in the sun. Due to the E. coli crisis, the vegetable grower is now losing €250,000 ($365,000) -- each day.

Behr is standing in one of his fields near Seevetal, south of Hamburg. The farmer is accompanied by a camera crew. He pulls a leaf off a head of iceberg lettuce in the field and bites into it. "How is E. coli supposed to get in there?" he asks. The lettuce has never been treated with manure, he says. Even on his organic fields in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, he only spreads manure before planting, he adds. Under a film that absorbs UV light, he admits, this kind of bacteria could pose a certain danger. But Behr cultivates only open fields. "Under these conditions, the light of the sun would kill a pathogen within two hours."

Behr has a stack of paper in his car: Dozens of new laboratory samples have been taken of his produce in the search for the E. coli pathogens. They all came back negative. This evidence has no impact, though. The grower will lose 40 hectares (99 acres) of iceberg lettuce -- 2.4 million heads. Now, he is not even bothering to harvest many of his fields, so he can later plow under the wilted lettuce.

www.spiegel.de...

This is such a tragedy for both the people who are getting sick of something from an unknown source, and also for all the farmers who now are getting hit and affected by the consequences in this frantic hunt for the source.

reply to post by St Udio


Uh Oh... i ran into some updated information that appears to make my earlier post...wayyyy off base

see:

www.activistpost.com...

No cross contaminations.

There is no contamination with fecal matter (or possible related infections) as one might expect from a E.coli infection. In fact, Germany, which has a large number of cases, has one of the best food safety and inspection programs on Earth. Normally E.coli infections are spread by feces contaminating food and can also be spread from person to person via the faecal-oral route due to poor hygiene. So far these do not appear to be primary vectors for the disease and in fact the primary vector is unknown at present.

this possible bio-attack by perps unknown sounds very possible.. Especially because of more than 10 locations being hit at once...

processed foodstuffs or raw foodsuffs are shipped out almost daily to lots of venues, so that could still be the vehicle for delivery...instead of a lot of terror cells contaminating various locations at a specific time with a e-coli strain that has unique characteristics...

simple answers are not the order of the day in this case


yikes....bloody bowels & kidney destruction are some of the signs

reply to post by St Udio


Yes of course, there could always be a possibillity that some form of sabotage may occured at some distribution center for vegetables in the Hamburg area of Northen Germany?

It could also maybe be a possibillity of sabotage with some kind of food products as the vehicle which all of those people who now are infected around Europe had from the same infected source near the Hamburg area of Northen Germany?

OR perhaps they came in contact with the bacteria in some other way (sprayed?) at some places where most of the affected travellers/tourists had visited - public toilets/restrooms, airport or ferry terminals, train-stations, restaurants etc?

Yeah, who knows?

Suspicion grows over Codex Alimentarius tiptoe.

"Organic Farmers kill hundreds!", "Must not be allowed to continue!", "Population in danger from Organic farming"
etc, etc... Just sounds like interesting timing to me...