Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O104:H4 Germany · 2011

EHEC O104:H4 and haemolytic uraemic syndrome outbreak linked to sprouts, Germany, 2011

Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said 3,842 people became ill and 53 died in the largest EHEC outbreak in Germany, from May to July 2011. The Robert Koch Institute described contaminated sprouts from a horticultural business in Lower Saxony, called producer A, as the vehicle, with imported fenugreek seeds as the most likely source of infection. BfR attributed contamination to imported fenugreek seeds from Egypt. RKI said the outbreak began on 8 May, peaked on 22 May and was declared over on 26 July 2011.^1,2

Counts as reported on 23 December 2011.¹ Food vehicle: Sprouts grown from imported fenugreek seeds from Egypt.

Timeline

1. 8 May 2011Outbreak began, according to RKI.²
2. 22 May 2011Outbreak peak, according to RKI.²
3. 26 July 2011Outbreak declared over, according to RKI.²
4. 23 December 2011BfR summary of the outbreak from a risk assessment perspective.¹

Sources

1. German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), EHEC outbreak 2011: summary from a risk assessment perspective (23 December 2011)
2. Robert Koch Institute, Epidemiologie des EHEC O104:H4/HUS-Ausbruchs in Deutschland, Mai bis Juli 2011 (15 October 2011)