Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Now Sprouts Probably Not to Blame for E. Coli

German officials reverse course on outbreak cause

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 6, 2011 10:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – Okay, so maybe it's not the bean sprouts after all. German officials did a 180 today, stating that initial tests showed no evidence that sprouts from an organic farm are actually to blame for the deadly E. coli outbreak. Of 40 samples, 23 have so far tested negative for the "super-toxic" strain of bacteria that has killed 22 so far, the AP reports. The rest of the samples are still being tested.

Officials say more testing of both sprouts and seeds is needed, and just because these samples test negative doesn't mean previous batches weren't contaminated. "The search for the outbreak's cause is very difficult as several weeks have passed since its suspected start," the Lower-Saxony state agriculture ministry said in a statement, noting that no conclusion is expected "in the short term." Click for more on how Germany is coping sans vegetables.

A woman holds bean sprouts with chopsticks in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, June 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

75%

11%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Germany on E. Coli Source: It Was the Bean Sprouts

Other veggies off the hook

(NEWSER) - On Sunday Germany’s E. coli outbreak—which has now killed 29 people—was blamed on bean sprouts ; on Monday it wasn’t . Now, apparently, the sprouts are once again being fingered as the culprit. “People who ate sprouts were nine times more likely to have bloody diarrhea than those who did not,” says Germany’s head of disease control. “The links are ever clearer.” On the other hand, “thousands of tests carried out on tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce have proved negative.” More»

Germany: Beansprouts Caused E. Coli

Outbreak traced to one farm, recall issued

(AP) - Locally grown beansprouts are the likely cause for Germany's E. coli outbreak, which has killed 22 people and sickened hundreds. Lower Saxony Agriculture Minister Gert Lindemann says definitive results will be available tomorrow, but that sprouts from a farm in the greater Uelzen area between Hamburg and Hannover could be traced to infected people in five different German states. Lindemann says the farm was shut down today and all of its produce was recalled. He also urged Germans to not eat sprouts until further notice. More»

Deadly E. Coli Resurfaces in France

Researchers trace sprout seeds to British company

(NEWSER) - A deadly strain of E. coli that killed 46 people in Germany appears to have resurfaced in France just at a time when hordes of Americans are heading overseas for vacation. The bacteria has landed eight people in Bordeaux hospitals as health officials scramble to locate the source of the contamination. Most of the sick interviewed to date attended an open house at a local children's recreation center and reported eating sprouts, believed to be the cause of the outbreak in Germany. The sprouts in France, however, have been traced to seeds provided by British company Thomson & Morgan, reports CNN . More»

Deadly E. Coli Outbreak Is New Strain: WHO

Mutant form has never been seen before

(NEWSER) - The deadly outbreak of E. coli that has killed 18 in Europe so far is a new, never-before-seen strain of the bacteria, the World Health Organization said today. It looks to be a mutant strain formed by two different types of E. coli bacteria, which could be why the outbreak is so dangerous—possibly the deadliest in recent world history—and so large, sickening more than 1,500 people so far and leading to rare kidney complications in hundreds. The new strain has "various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing," a WHO expert tells the AP . More»

You Don't Want to Know What's on Your Cellphone

There's a good chance it's fecal matter: study

(NEWSER) - If you’re reading this on your smartphone, you might want to go wash your hands now: A new study out of London finds that one out of six cellphones has fecal matter on it. UK researchers swabbed 390 mobile phones and the British hands that used them, and found that 16% of both were contaminated with E. coli bacteria—which, yes, comes from poop, Time reports. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Now Sprouts Probably Not to Blame for E. Coli

German officials reverse course on outbreak cause

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

E. coli • Germany • bacteria • outbreak • sprouts

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Germany on E. Coli Source: It Was the Bean Sprouts

Other veggies off the hook

Germany: Beansprouts Caused E. Coli

Outbreak traced to one farm, recall issued

Deadly E. Coli Resurfaces in France

Researchers trace sprout seeds to British company

Deadly E. Coli Outbreak Is New Strain: WHO

Mutant form has never been seen before

You Don't Want to Know What's on Your Cellphone

There's a good chance it's fecal matter: study

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?