Danish cucumbers suspected of spreading E. coli infections

Danish cucumbers are suspected of assisting spread the E. coli bacteria believed to be triggering a deadly outbreak of intestinal infection in Denmark and Germany, regional media reported Sunday.

School authorities in the Danish city of Odense said up to 1,500 young children might have been exposed to the bacteria right after eating cucumbers of Danish origin at a school festival on Friday, the neighborhood Fyns Times reported.

The cucumbers came from a Danish wholesaler which also delivers farm goods to a German supplier where vegetables contaminated by the E. coli bacteria have already been observed earlier this week.

The Danish cucumbers had been mixed in Germany with cucumbers originating within the Netherlands, making it tricky to establish if Danish cucumbers are actually contaminated.

As outlined by Denmark's National Serum Institute, there are nine confirmed cases, with no less than a different eight men and women suspected of having the intestinal infection, also referred to as VTEC, in Denmark.

Four with the confirmed instances show symptoms of kidney failure which marks an advanced stage of the sickness, the institute stated Saturday.

The food-borne infection might be brought on by consuming raw or uncooked foods for instance vegetables contaminated together with the E. coli bacteria.

Signs and symptoms of infection include mild fever, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, and can final 5 to 7 days. It could prove fatal in the incredibly young, sick, or elderly.

The Odense school authorities have advised parents to monitor the affected kids for signs of the infection.

Denmark's Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) stated earlier that the suspicion against Danish cucumber was "vague," but advised Danish customers not to eat raw tomato, lettuce and cucumber from Germany, and cucumber from Spain.

It truly is now checking Danish cucumbers for traces of E. coli, with outcomes expected on Tuesday.

The outbreak is said to have originated from a batch of German lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, along with a batch of Spanish cucumbers.

Some Danish retailers have now removed these products from their supermarket shelves. And the Danish branch of fast-food chain McDonald's stated Saturday that it was dropping fresh cucumber from its menu till more discover.

According to German media, the infection has ravaged northern Germany in current days, where it has caused eight confirmed deaths as of Saturday, though affecting up to 1,000 individuals.

All the confirmed Danish victims are mentioned to have lately visited northern Germany, exactly where the outbreak initially occurred.

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