Hamburg, Germany
E. coli mystery deepens: German officials still don’t know the source of the E. coli outbreak that has killed 26 people and sickened more than 2,700 across Europe. Officials initially said the deadly bacteria came from Spanish cucumbers, and Spanish products were banned from several countries. After tests ruled out the cucumbers, officials said bean sprouts from an organic farm near Hamburg were to blame, but then tests cleared them too. Meanwhile, farmers all over the Continent are suffering as sales of fresh vegetables plummet, and European officials are annoyed at Germany. “It’s crucial that national authorities don’t rush to give information on the source of infection when it’s not justified by the science,” said European Union Health Commissioner John Dalli. “That creates fears and problems for our food producers.”
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