German authority said
on Sunday that bean sprouts might be the “most convincing” source for the E.
coli outbreak which has killed 22 people and infected more than 2,000 in the
Europe.

Photo taken on June 5, 2011 shows a plate of bean sprouts at a restaurant in Berlin, capital of Germany. German authority said on Sunday that bean sprouts might be the “most convincing” source for the E. coli outbreak which has killed 22 people and infected more than 2,000 in the Europe. (Xinhua/Ma Ning)

Gert Lindemann,
Agriculture Minister of the state Lower Saxony, told reporters in a press
conference that restaurants and cooking outlets where the cases of E. coli had been
reported all had received shipments of the particular bean sprouts.

A related company in the
Uelzen region has been shut down and its products have been recalled, he said.

“It is the most
convincing… source for the E. coli outbreak,” Lindemann said. Although a
conclusive laboratory analysis will not come out until Monday, current
indications were strong enough to issue a public warning, he said.

Authorities have been
racing to track down the source of the pathogen since the outbreak, which has
infected people in 12 countries - all of whom had once traveled in northern
Germany. More than 600 of those infected have developed Hemolytic Uremic
Syndrome (HUS), a potentially deadly complication attacking the kidneys.

The source of E.coli was
first thought to be the cucumbers from Spain, which has caused huge loses for
Spain farmers. However, this conclusion was overthrown by Laboratory tests in
Hamburg on Tuesday.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet