This past summer, Germany was the epicenter of an unthinkably large outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 (STEC O104:H4) infections.  According to the CDC’s update in July, the outbreak included 852 patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome(HUS)–a type of kidney failure that is associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.  There were 32 deaths.  The outbreak was eventually linked to sprouts.

Today there is news that a Spanish company fruit company, Frunet, is suing the city of Hamburg for more than 2 million Euro claiming that its cucumbers were wrongly blamed for the outbreak. 

According to the report, the officials have spoken out to defend themselves:  “The Office for Health and Consumer Protection rejects these claims since the warning about the company’s cucumbers was necessary and right,” the health office said in a written statement.