E. coli outbreak is a new strain

A leading microbiologist has warned the E. coli outbreak may worsen

The World Health Organization says the E. coli outbreak in Germany is a completely new strain of the bacteria.

The infection can cause the deadly complication - haemolytic-uraemic syndrome - affecting the blood and kidneys.

More than 1,500 people have been infected and 17 have died: 16 in Germany and one in Sweden.

In the UK, three British nationals have been infected - all had visited Germany.

Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, a WHO spokesperson, is reported as saying: "This strain has never been seen in an outbreak situation before."

Scientists at the Beijing Genomics Institute, in China, are also reported as saying: "This E.coli is a new strain of bacteria that is highly infectious and toxic."

Preliminary genetic analysis of the outbreak suggests the bacteria is unique.

Early evidence suggests the bacteria has genes from two distinct groups of E. coli: enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC).

The Health Protection Agency told the BBC that we were at the beginning of the learning curve in terms of understanding what this means.

Europe

The outbreak remains centred on Germany where there have been 1,064 cases of bloody diarrhoea and 470 cases of the potentially deadly complication in the blood and kidneys.

The source of the infection, originally blamed on Spanish cucumbers, is unclear.

The head of the Robert Koch Institute, which monitors the infection in Germany, said the outbreak could last for months and that "we may never know" the original source.

Fresh vegetables from the European Union have been banned in Russia and the country's chief medical officer said such produce will be seized.

Meanwhile Spain is threatening to seek compensation from the EU for lost vegetables sales.

UK cases

Three British nationals in the UK have been infected with E. coli linked to the outbreak in Germany, according to the Health Protection Agency.

It brings the total number of cases in the UK to seven, the other four are from Germany.

It is believed that all patients caught the infection in Germany and brought it back to the UK.


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