Germans admit killer bacteria may never be found
Jun-07-2011

Germany stepped up efforts Tuesday to trace the source of a bacteria outbreak that has killed 24 amid warnings it might never be found, while the EU pledged aid for vegetable farmers hit by the scare.
After following several apparently false leads, German authorities zeroed in on organic sprouts as the possible origin of the contamination with a highly virulent strain of E. coli.
But initial probes carried out on a farm growing a variety of sprouts in the northern state of Lower Saxony proved negative.
Another lead in Hamburg, the epicentre of the outbreak, had involved sprouts from the same farm found in the refrigerator of a sickened man. But that sample too failed to display any trace of the bacterial strain.
The scare has led puzzled officials to warn consumers off raw tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and sprouts, prompting the European Commission to ask EU states for 150 million euros ($220 million) in aid for hard-hit farmers.
European agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos urged Germany to quickly pinpoint the driver of the lethal bacterial strain, warning that consumers were losing confidence every day the outbreak remains a mystery.

Read the rest of the article by clicking the link below.

Visit Website

Posted by Ken at 12:00 AM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print