THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: E.coli at the centre of a German outbreak is believed to be a new strain of bacteria never seen before.
Seven people in the UK have been affected by the virulent strain, including three Britons and four German nationals.
Early investigations suggest the strain is a mutant form of two different E.coli bacteria.
Hilde Kruse, a food safety expert at the WHO, told the Associated Press: "This is a unique strain that has never been isolated from patients before."
She added that the new strain has "various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing".
It is not uncommon for bacteria to continually evolve and swap genes but the new strain appears to be more virulent than other strains of E.coli.
Severe E.coli cases are usually seen in children and the elderly, but all age groups are currently affected.
According to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), all the UK cases caught the infection in Germany. » | Thursday, June 02, 2011
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