Friday, June 3, 2011

Germany: E. coli patients continue to rise

On Friday June 3, 2011, 6:54 am

BERLIN (AP) -- Germany's national disease control center says almost 200 new cases of E. coli infection were reported in the first two days of June, bringing the number of cases in the country to 1,733. Eighteen people have died, all but one in Germany.

The Robert Koch Institute said Friday that 520 of those sickened are suffering from a life-threatening complication that can cause kidney failure.

Suspicion has fallen on raw tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce as the source of the germ but researchers have been unable to pinpoint the exact source.

The World Health Organization says nine other European nations have reported a total of 80 people sick from the bacteria, most of whom had recently visited northern Germany.

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