Germany fears more deaths from E coli outbreak

Health authorities in Germany are concerned about a strain of Escherichia coli which causes a form of haemolytic-uraemic syndrome and which has led to at least seven deaths. The pathogen, called enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli or EHEC, was first detected in 1990 in cows and was identified as a new strain of E coli modified by a bacteriophage virus. The virus causes the E coli to produce a substance that does not affect cattle but in humans may produce symptoms from …