Categories: NewsYear 2011May

E. coli-contaminated cucumbers. Coli

The Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia Coli bacteria-contaminated cucumbers (EHEC) infected more than 276 people in Germany (2/3 are women) causing at least three deaths. And after the European Commission, other countries are also affected, as the Sweden with ten cases of contamination, the Denmark with four cases, the United Kingdom with three cases and the Netherlands with a case.

Symptoms and modes of transmission

The bacterium E. Enterohemorrhagic e. can cause diarrhea can be accompanied by bleeding, It can lead to kidney problems and result in death. According to the Robert-Koch Institute (RKI), German federal institution in charge of sanitary control and the fight against diseases, This disease is highly contagious and is transmitted by raw but vegetables also by human contact. Being of a 10-day incubation period, It is likely that the number of victims increases in the days to come.

Contamination of vegetables is probably made by human or animal feces (manure for example). The Robert-Koch Institute looks at the question to learn more.

Suspected Spanish producers

The city state of Hamburg conducted four tests on cucumbers. Three results show that contamination comes from two Spanish producers cucumbers, Hortofruticola located in Almería and Bio Franet Pepino, un producteur de concombres “bio” dans la province de Malaga en Andalousie. Que des concombres “bio” soient contaminés peut en surprendre plus d’un, mais voyant la dérive dont les produits “bio” sont victimes, especially abroad, it surprise us less (see the article Industrialization of organic).

The Spanish Minister for Agriculture, Rosa Aguilar, says, to defend his country, « qu’aucun indice “ne prouve” que la contamination des concombres ayant véhiculé la transmission d’une bactérie vienne d’Espagne », rapporte l’AFP. It adds : « It is not known where could happen the contamination and the European Commission has highlighted the fact that it could have occurred outside the country of origin «and expressed concern about the possible «» irreversible damage "for the sector.

Steps are being taken

German health authorities, anxious in response to the epidemic, advise to avoid consuming cucumbers but also tomatoes and raw salads and more particularly those who come from the North of the Germany.
The Russia as for it not was, a priori, of victims but said that it could break all importation of vegetables from Germany.
The Sweden fears that the victims are the face immersed of the iceberg and thinks that the situation is likely to worsen in the coming days.
In Switzerland, COOP, second great distribution chain, has said : « As a precaution, We immediately removed all cucumbers of Spain, in the Switzerland ». Other large distribution chains say local products in season and are therefore not affected by this problem. One case of disease was declared in Switzerland, It's a woman returning from a trip to Germany.
In France, the DGCCRF (Directorate-General for competition, Consumption and the Repression of fraud) « surveille de très près la situation "reports it Figaro, even if for the moment no case is declared.

French vegetable growers

While in Germany the loss of turnover is estimated at two million euros per day, and that consumption of salads, tomatoes and cucumbers fell by 90%, rapporte l’AFP, french producers fear psychosis and a decline in consumption in France.

The Federation of producers of tomatoes and cucumbers from France explained in a press release « that of origin France cucumbers are in no way involved in this health crisis and that French production conditions have nothing to do with those practised in Spain both environmentally and socially ».

On the be repeated enough, eat the most local possible, season and still better bio (but local and seasonal), to limit its exposure to the pesticides and other contamination.

View Comments

(from Facebook) says:

28 May 2011 at 18 h 59 min

Eat local and seasonal prevents this kind of danger.
- a steering wheel says:
  
  30 May 2011 at 17 h 33 min
  
  Eat local! We will eat the planet with such slogan. C'est une coquetterie de riche!
- Nicole says:
  
  31 May 2011 at 17 h 58 min
  
  Biensur qu'il faut manger local et de saison!! Pourquoi acheter des fraises sans gout venant d'Espagne en plein hiver alors qu'on peut en avoir qui viennent de chez nous au mois de mai (avec d'ailleurs des normes plus strictes donc moins de risques pour la santé) ?? Moi je préfère aussi donner mon argent à des agriculteurs français plutot qu'a des multinationales étrangères qui font de l'esclavage moderne !
Trembay says:

29 May 2011 at 9 h 40 min

Comme l'engrais du bio est le fumier = la merde
il fallait bien qu'un le bio soit contaminé par E. coli!
- a steering wheel says:
  
  30 May 2011 at 17 h 32 min
  
  C'est une remarque évidente. Our environmentalists call even that of "concern preparations! En bon français cela signifie qu'elles le sont! They want the principle of caution for others, but for them, qu'importe la précaution la plus élémentaire!
- Nicole says:
  
  31 May 2011 at 17 h 51 min
  
  "A bad composting of animal origin may not on its own explain that cucumbers could be contaminated, in particular for this type of vegetable which is without direct contact with the Earth", However said Jean-François Proust, Head of ForumPhyto. "Should that staff who has handled this compost bio pass then contamination to cucumbers., "or any other defect of hygiene at production or after., He adds. (source : http://www.agriculture-environnement.fr)
- Nicole says:
  
  31 May 2011 at 18 h 06 min
  
  "organic manure is manure = crap"
  Et ils ont fait comment pendant des centaines d'années pour cultiver leurs terres les paysans ?? Ce n'est pas pour autant qu'ils en tombaient tous malades !
  
  Ce n'est qu'au cours du 20e siècle qu'on a fait des engrais chimiques à base de pétrole. Il y a clairement un souci à l'heure actuelle dans la manière de cultiver (bio or not) c'est à dire intensive et industrielle (always more and always cheaper), d'où des erreurs et contaminations !
  - marcaurel says:
    
    1 June 2011 at 10 h 30 min
    
    ET ils vivaient jusqu'a quel âge les gens pendant des centaines d'années???! Although pui, they were very often falling sick, "One of the main causes of death in the Middle Ages was precisely the rotten food", Der Sonntag.
    Et c'est depuis le debut Du 19eme! que la chimie a permis de lutter contre les parasites et microbes et que l'esperance de vie a considerablement augmentée!
a steering wheel says:

30 May 2011 at 17 h 27 min

Il ne faut pas s'étonner de cette actualité. Il n'y a pas de codex-alimentarius spécifique pour les produits bio... Ce qui veut dire en clair qu'il n'y a aucune obligation de résultat sur la qualité des produits.
Les agriculteurs bio sont d'ailleurs autorisés à utiliser, en contact direct avec les légumes bio qu'ils produisent, of "preparations low preocuppantes". C'est le mot officiel des purains d'orties et autres produits fermentescibles. J'en conclut donc en bonne logique qu'elle sont "a little preocuppantes". It is far from the precautionary principle dear to our eco-friendly. Quand il s'agit des autres, This principle is chilling. Mais quand il s'agit de leurs intérêts, it make a mockery of the most elementary precautions!
A steering wheel
(from Facebook) says:

30 May 2011 at 20 h 25 min

N'oublions pas : wash your hands
BioNux says:

31 May 2011 at 2 h 23 min

Necessarily, à constament manger de l'aseptisé, the unchlorinated, la moindre bacterie gonflée aux pesticides dans votre corps et c'est le drame.
BioNux says:

31 May 2011 at 2 h 40 min

"Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a common bacteria in the digestive tract of human and warm-blooded animals. Most strains of E. coli are safe. Some strains, However, as Enterohemorrhagic strains (EHEC), can be the cause of food-borne diseases (TIA) graves. Transmission to humans occurs through the consumption of contaminated food, raw or poorly cooked ground meat and raw milk by example.[...]
source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs125/fr/