Re: Europe - 19 dead, 2000+ infected, 500 severe cases of E-coli - EHEC STEC hemolytic uremic syndrome
http://internacional.eluniversal.co...ca-busqueda-de-fuente-de-bacteria-ecoli.shtml
Spanish to English translation
Germany intensifies search for source of bacteria "E.coli"
The health institutes across Europe have sought to reassure the public by emphasizing that the "E.coli"-a common cause of food poisoning, can be combated effectively washing hands and vegetables before eating to reduce the risk of transmission of bacteria.
Hungarian Minister of Agriculture test market cucumbers (Reuters)
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EL UNIVERSAL
Friday June 3, 2011 24:35
Berlin .- In their race to stop the spread of the deadly strain of E.coli , Germany on Friday created a national task force to track the source of this highly toxic bacteria that has killed 17 people and generates alarm around the world.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, involved in a trade dispute with the European Union (EU) after Moscow banned imports of raw fruits and vegetables from the block, fueled the debate by saying that no "poisoned" to Russians lifting the embargo, according to Reuters.
After reiterating the warnings to the Germans not to eat raw vegetables in salads, health officials said that in the last two days there were 199 new cases of this rare and highly toxic strain of the bacteria E.coli .
The latest figures bring the total cases of infection, detected in early May, to 1733, which would make it the deadliest outbreak in history. It also suggests expanding faster than ever.
The scientists, who are struggling to identify the source of the contamination, believe it could be due to poor hygiene at the farm, during transport or storage products in the shops.
The health institutes across Europe have sought to reassure the public by emphasizing that the E.coli -a common cause of food poisoning, can be combated effectively washing hands and vegetables before eating to reduce the risk of transmission of bacteria.
The bacteria usually stay in the feces of animals or humans.
However, the resistance of the strain to certain antibiotics and problems to find the source of the outbreak, further hampered by the nature of the salads that include a variety of products from different backgrounds, raised concern.
In response to requests from the EU for Russia to lift the prohibition on imports on Thursday and on the principle of free trade, Putin said: "We can not poison our people for the sake of a spirit."
Expanded Outbreak
Germany is at the epicenter of the outbreak but also sickened 10 people in other European countries and the United States, probably by eating lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers or other raw vegetables contaminated in Germany.
The region near the northern city of Hamburg is in the eye of the storm.
The World Health Organization (WHO) noted that the strain in question is rare, previously seen in humans, but never in a kind of an outbreak like this.
Also became ill people in Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.
"All these cases except two, are from people who live or have recently visited northern Germany during the incubation period for infection, typically three to four days after exposure, or in one case had contact with a visitor Northern Germany, "WHO said in a statement.
The bacteria E.coli themselves are harmless, but the strain that is sickening people in Europe have the capacity to adhere to the intestinal wall from where it emits toxins and in some cases causes severe bloody diarrhea and kidney problems.
A German government spokesman said Chancellor Angela Merkel was forming a task force to address the issue E.coli and spoke with the Spanish president, Jos? Luis Rodr?guez Zapatero, on the impact of the issue in the agricultural sector in Spain, initially blamed for the outbreak.
The outbreak has strained trade ties within the bloc and other countries such as Russia, which was criticized by the EU after the ban on imports of raw vegetables from the area and accused Brussels of not being able to handle the crisis.
Spanish officials said they would seek compensation from Germany for the prosecution, they say caused severe losses to agriculture, "and despite the subsequent German rectification.
The most lethal strain
POSSIBLY MORE LETHAL STRAIN
Robert Tauxe of the Centers for Disease Control and Disease Prevention (CDC), which has been working with health officials from Germany last week, said the strain is possibly the most lethal known in terms of quantity of deaths.
"I think it is," he said when asked about that possibility, adding that it was unclear how the bacteria got so tough.
The outbreak is causing severe infections and in several cases, complications affecting the blood and kidneys. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which often leads to kidney failure and can be fatal, has been diagnosed in hundreds of cases.
Many patients have been hospitalized, many of which have required intensive care, including dialysis due to kidney complications.
The strain is part of a class of bacteria known as Escherichia coli or Verotoxigenic (STEC), which produces a poison known as Shiga toxin.
Infections with E. coli can spread from one person to another, but only through oral contact with contaminated feces, which is crucial for hand washing and the plants that may have been in contact with animal feces.
"The immediate public health problem is to identify the source of infection so it can be controlled," said Robert Hall, an expert on disease control in Victoria, Australia.
Hall added that this is achieved with a combination of epidemiological, microbiological and environmental. "These are all high-readiness tasks to be performed quickly and almost always come with lots of advertising," he said.
