PRIORITY business intelligence

In Germany, thedaily numbers of reported cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome(HUS)/enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) have steadily decreased sincethey peaked on 22 May. Nevertheless, the cumulative numbers of cases from Germanycontinue to rise, primarily owing to delays in notification..

Investigations by the German authorities indicate that the vehicle of the bacterium responsible for the German outbreak, enteroaggregative verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (EAggEC VTEC) O104:H4, is bean and seed sprouts, and the Robert Koch Institute has warned people in Germany not to eat raw sprouts of any origin.

The table below shows reported cases of and deaths from HUS and EHEC infections in Germany and in other countries with history of travel to northern Germany, as of 28 June at 18:00 CET.