As of Tuesday evening, a virulent and mysterious type of E. coli had killed 16 people in northern Germany and Sweden and sickened 1,150 others in Germany alone.
The source of the food-borne outbreak is still unknown, though German officials had earlier suggested that the bacteria was spread on tainted cucumbers shipped from Spain. Tests of Spanish produce have not turned up the outbreak-causing E. coli strain, but German officials are still warning against eating raw cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes.
While many food-borne E. coli infections typically cause a bad case of diarrhea (but can be fatal), the rarer serotype of E. coli circulating in Europe has caused hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially deadly disease that can lead to kidney failure, in at least 373 people in Germany. As public-health officials continue to try to pinpoint the source of the outbreak, food scientists and microbiologists are busy studying the genetic makeup of this particular serotype of E. coli, which may be a strain of E. coli O104:H21, according to the Washington Post.
Healthland talked with Martin Wiedmann, a professor of food science at Cornell University.
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Related article: What You Should Know About E.coli
Food safety is something about which churches should concern themselves as a number of churches operate preschools, day care centers, and mother's day out programs that provide meals and snacks to young children. A number of churches operate senior centers that provide meals and snacks to elderly people. Both groups are in the high risk category in an e. coli outbreak. Churches also raise funds with the sale of plate lunches and dinners. They sponsor barbecues, crawfish boils, fish fries, and picnics. Church members and staff also prepare and handle food in other ways. Every church needs to develop and adopt a food safety policy and the church board and church staff need to ensure that the food safety policy is implemented and enforced.
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