Medimun Health and Medical Blog

A deadly ’super strain’ of E. Coli has claimed the lives of at least 16 people, and hundreds more have fallen gravely ill across Europe. The source of the disease is said to have originated in Germany, but health officials are still trying to determine how the tainted batch of vegetables made it onto the foreign market. Officials in Russia have officially banned the import of fresh fruits and vegetables from a number of counties, including Germany.

German health officials believe that they can lessen the number of infections if people heed their advice. All German citizens have been told to avoid eating raw vegetables in any form. Although E. Coli can occur when vegetables, meat or milk is contaminated, the vast majority of victims have shown signs of a vegetable based E.Coli. Kidney failure, fever and diarrhea are all telltale signs of E.Coli infection. Although health officials are still trying to figure out how such a large number of vegetables were contaminated in the first place, their main objective is to stop future infections from occuring.

While E.Coli is blamed for thousands of deaths a year, usually people living in developed nations are able to survive if they get prompt medical attention. In mere days, more than a thousand people were hospitalized in Europe, with a little more than a dozen succumbing to the disease. US health officials say that they were able to intercept batches of vegetables from Europe that might be contaminated with E.Coli before they sold in grocery stores.