Tests to confirm if German farm caused E.coli

Tests results expected later today will reveal whether bean sprouts from a farm in Germany are the source of the E.coli outbreak which has killed 22 people.

6 June 2011, 12:00am

1 min read

Preliminary examinations found that bean sprouts from a farm in the Uelzen area could be traced to infections in five German states. “There were more and more indications that put the focus on this farm,” Agriculture Minister Gert Lindemann said.

Yesterday, news media reported that health officials were looking into a German restaurant and the Hamburg Port Festival as the potential source of the outbreak.

The new lead on the outbreak comes as the death toll in Europe increased to 22.

Germany's health minister has admitted the country is struggling to cope with the number of people suffering from E.coli.

The World Health Organisation has said the strain is rare and has been seen in humans before, but never in this kind of outbreak.

Many of those infected have developed the disease haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a potentially deadly complication that can affect the kidneys.