WHO: E. coli outbreak caused by new strain
Source: Agencies |
June 3, 2011, Friday
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The E. coli bacteria responsible for a deadly outbreak that has left 18 dead and sickened hundreds in Europe is a new strain that has never been seen before, the World Health Organization said yesterday.
Preliminary genetic sequencing suggests the strain is a mutant form of two different E. coli bacteria, with aggressive genes that could explain why the Europe-wide outbreak appears to be so massive and dangerous, the agency said.
Hilde Kruse, a food safety expert at the WHO, said: "This is a unique strain that has never been isolated from patients before."
She added that the new strain has "various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing" than the hundreds of E. coli strains people naturally carry in their intestines.
So far, the mutant E. coli strain has sickened more than 1,500 people, including 470 who have developed a rare kidney failure complication, and killed 18, including one overnight in Germany, the country hit hardest by the outbreak.
Researchers have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the illness, which has hit at least nine European countries, and prompted Russia to extend a ban on vegetables to the entire European Union.
Kruse said it was not uncommon for bacteria to continually mutate, evolving and swapping genes. She said it was difficult to explain where the new strain came from but said strains of bacteria from both humans and animals easily trade genes, similar to how animal viruses like Ebola sometimes jump into humans.
"One should think of an animal source," Kruse said. "Many animals are hosts of various types of toxin-producing E. coli."
Some scientists suspect the deadly E. coli might have originated in contaminated manure used to fertilize vegetables.
Previous E. coli outbreaks have mainly hit children and the elderly, but the European outbreak is disproportionately affecting adults, especially women.
Kruse said there might be something particular about the bacteria strain that makes it more dangerous for adults.
But she cautioned that since people with milder cases probably aren't seeking medical help, officials don't know just how big the outbreak is.
Nearly all the sick people either live in Germany or recently traveled there. Two people who were sickened are now in the United States, and both had recently traveled to Hamburg, Germany, where many of the infections occurred.
British officials announced four new cases, including three Britons who recently visited Germany and a German on holiday in England.
German officials have warned people not to eat lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Fearful of the outbreak spreading into Russia, the country extended its ban on vegetable imports to all of the EU. Russia had banned fresh imports from Spain and Germany on Monday.
The United Arab Emirates issued a temporary ban on cucumbers from Spain, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.
News agency WAM said the Gulf nation's minister of environment and water issued the order based on information "from international food safety agencies and news reports."
The outbreak is considered the third-largest involving E. coli in recent history, and it may be the deadliest.
Twelve people died in a 1996 Japanese outbreak and seven in a 2000 Canadian outbreak.
Preliminary genetic sequencing suggests the strain is a mutant form of two different E. coli bacteria, with aggressive genes that could explain why the Europe-wide outbreak appears to be so massive and dangerous, the agency said.
Hilde Kruse, a food safety expert at the WHO, said: "This is a unique strain that has never been isolated from patients before."
She added that the new strain has "various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing" than the hundreds of E. coli strains people naturally carry in their intestines.
So far, the mutant E. coli strain has sickened more than 1,500 people, including 470 who have developed a rare kidney failure complication, and killed 18, including one overnight in Germany, the country hit hardest by the outbreak.
Researchers have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the illness, which has hit at least nine European countries, and prompted Russia to extend a ban on vegetables to the entire European Union.
Kruse said it was not uncommon for bacteria to continually mutate, evolving and swapping genes. She said it was difficult to explain where the new strain came from but said strains of bacteria from both humans and animals easily trade genes, similar to how animal viruses like Ebola sometimes jump into humans.
"One should think of an animal source," Kruse said. "Many animals are hosts of various types of toxin-producing E. coli."
Some scientists suspect the deadly E. coli might have originated in contaminated manure used to fertilize vegetables.
Previous E. coli outbreaks have mainly hit children and the elderly, but the European outbreak is disproportionately affecting adults, especially women.
Kruse said there might be something particular about the bacteria strain that makes it more dangerous for adults.
But she cautioned that since people with milder cases probably aren't seeking medical help, officials don't know just how big the outbreak is.
Nearly all the sick people either live in Germany or recently traveled there. Two people who were sickened are now in the United States, and both had recently traveled to Hamburg, Germany, where many of the infections occurred.
British officials announced four new cases, including three Britons who recently visited Germany and a German on holiday in England.
German officials have warned people not to eat lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Fearful of the outbreak spreading into Russia, the country extended its ban on vegetable imports to all of the EU. Russia had banned fresh imports from Spain and Germany on Monday.
The United Arab Emirates issued a temporary ban on cucumbers from Spain, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.
News agency WAM said the Gulf nation's minister of environment and water issued the order based on information "from international food safety agencies and news reports."
The outbreak is considered the third-largest involving E. coli in recent history, and it may be the deadliest.
Twelve people died in a 1996 Japanese outbreak and seven in a 2000 Canadian outbreak.
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