Screen shot 2011-06-12 at 11.54.17 AM.pngOn 10 June, German authorities stated that mounting epidemiological and food-chain evidence indicated that bean and seed sprouts (including fenugreek, mung beans, lentils, adzuki beans and alfalfa) are the vehicle of the outbreak in Germany.

Bean-sprout evidence mounting, new recommendations

On 10 June, authorities from the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI), the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) jointly stated that mounting epidemiological and food-chain evidence indicated that bean and seed sprouts (including fenugreek, mung beans, lentils, adzuki beans and alfalfa) are the vehicle of the outbreak in Germany caused by the unusual enteroaggregative verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (EAggEC VTEC) O104:H4 bacterium. The outbreak remains primarily centred in Germany.

The authorities now recommend that people in Germany should not eat raw bean and seed sprouts of any origin. Households, caterers and restaurants should dispose of any bean and seed sprouts that they have, and any food items that might have been in contact with them, until further notice.

The recommendation not to eat cucumbers, tomatoes and leafy salads in northern Germany is cancelled.

They recommend withdrawal from the market of all food products from a farm in Lower Saxony, where the implicated bean and seed sprouts originated.

Numerous investigations continue, including into delivery chains. So far, there is no evidence that bean and seed sprouts from the farm have been exported beyond Germany.

The authorities recommend strict adherence to general hygiene advice when handling food items, after using the toilet and when health professionals are in contact with patients.

BfR, BVL and RKI have issued a joint press release with more details.

Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)

As of 10 June at 15:00 CET, Germany had reported 773 HUS cases (including 22 fatalities): 14 more cases and 1 additional death since the previous day. 68% of cases were in females and 88% in adults aged 20 years or older, with the highest attack rates per 100 000 population in the group aged 20–49 years. Case-onset dates ranged from 1 May to 6 June.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC)

As of 10 June at 15:00 CET, 2374 cases of EHEC infection (without HUS) had been reported in Germany (12 fatal): 145 more cases and 3 more deaths since the previous day. 60% of cases were in females and 87% in adults aged 20 years or older. Case-onset dates ranged from 1 May to 6 June.

On 11 June, the RKI stated that for the past few days there has been a reduction in the number of notified HUS/EHEC cases reported to them. It is still uncertain whether this decline in outbreak activity is due to changes in consumption of raw vegetables and/or the waning of the source of infection. However, the previously observed decrease of daily absolute and relative number of patients presenting to emergency departments with bloody diarrhoea in hospitals participating in a voluntary surveillance system has not further decreased since 6 June.

Other countries

As of 10 June, 13 other European countries had reported a total of 36 HUS cases (1 fatal) and 66 EHEC cases (none fatal): 0 more HUS case and 3 more EHEC cases since the previous day. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, United States of America have published information on 3 HUS cases (1 confirmed and 2 suspected) and 2 suspected EHEC cases (without HUS) in the United States linked to this outbreak. On 7 June, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported on 1 suspected case of E. coli O104 infection (without HUS), in a person with travel history to northern Germany and with links to a confirmed case of E. coli O104 infection in Germany.

The table shows totals for all affected countries.

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Note: There are 3255 HUS and EHEC cases in total, including 35 fatalities.