14 dead in Germany as cucumber crisis grows

BERLIN (AFP) – Germany on Monday held crisis talks amid reports that at least 14 people have died and hundreds are ill in an outbreak of a highly virulent strain of bacteria found on imported cucumbers.

snip

.... officials said they are unsure what caused the sudden outbreak of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) which can result in full-blown haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a disease that causes bloody diarrhoea and serious liver damage and possible death.

The outbreak has hit countries including Britain, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, but most these cases appear to involve people who had recently travelled to or from Germany.

con. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110530/hl ... 0530185850

I am not posting this in the Germany e.coli thread because it is a different strain, and I don't want to give the impression the US cases are related to the strain from Germany.

E. Coli confirmed in SWVA child that died, possible "outbreak" in NETN under investigation

DRYDEN, Va. --

UPDATE: 5:16 pm

Lab results confirm the presence of E. coli in the child that died this weekend and the presence of the bacteria in a close contact of the child, Virginia Department of Health Public Information Officer Robert Parker said.

"The lab results confirm the presence of E. coli 0157:H7," Parker said. "That's a strain of E. coli that causes severe illness."

Northeast Regional Health Office Medical Director Dr. David Kirschke also confirms a similar severe strain in Northeast Tennessee.

"We have one case of the severe type in Tennessee," Dr. Kirschke said. "It may be similar to what the two kids from Virginia had."

con. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/jun ... r-1088553/

UPDATE: More e. coli cases confirmed in northeast Tenn.

Northeast Regional Health Dept. spokesman Beth Rader says 2 new E.coli cases were confirmed late Monday / early Tuesday.

That brings the 7 county NETN total to 10 (and doesn’t include the 2 cases confirmed in VA).

snip

Rader said there is no common link, but the investigation isn’t finished yet.

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/jun ... r-1090051/

The quote is from the link above in Rutsie's post. Great follow up job, BTW and great analysis.

400 tonnes per week of frozen beef, huh?

...the beef can come from Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands or even other places...

IMHO, there doesn't even need to be a conspiracy 'cause we are poisoning ourselves.

I cannot get my mind around a processing plant grinding up beef from so many countries in such quantity.

I don't care how sanitary you try to keep things - there is no way - no way I say - that this process is safe, sanitary, humane, etc., etc., etc.

Jest ain't happenin', in my opinion.

Again and again and again we come back to factory farming and the dangers it poses to us. Sadly, the dangers it poses to our children and grandchildren.

Basta! Enough!!!!

Lol - BB I am well bemused at your statements.

And offcourse - they are so true. How indeed can you keep sanitary conditions when handling those kinda numbers? Not possible.

SO - if you feel like that now, you have a modicum of what I have felt while trying to explain to those who ask me why I do not eat meat, for the past 33 years. Apart from the spiritual connotations, it makes no sense on a level of consideration for life - to me at least. I am posting an article on the light emission from living cells recently discovered on the board elsewhere, and this to me is the ultimate discovery of the amazing grace the creator provided us all with.

And they want to try stuff evolution down my throat? It sure is mirthful!