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  1. #1
    Adar's Avatar Just doing it
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    Default French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    Summary: The strain is likely to be the same as in Germany according to Swedish news (but not article below which describe the outbreak). French authorities blame a British seed seller and the company denies these allegations.

    Personally I am inclined to believe that the French authorities just took a shot at a target that couldn't retaliate to please the French public. Contaminated seeds shouldn't be able to cause a major outbreak unless the sprouts

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    French E coli outbreak likened to deadly German drama This week's outbreak of E Coli in the south-western French city of Bordeaux bears the hallmarks of the outbreak that claimed dozens of lives in Germany, French media reports said Sunday. Like in Germany, the strain is very virulent, it produces a lot of toxins, it is very resistant to antibiotics. Adults are affected and, besides renal complications, it can cause neurological complications,' Professor Patrick Berche, head of the bacteriology department at Necker Hospital in Paris told Le Journal du Dimanche weekly. Seven people were hospitalized this week in Bordeaux with E coli. Two of the patients have type 0104 enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) - the strain that has killed over 40 people, mostly in Germany, since May. Several of the patients had eaten vegetable sprouts at an end-of-term party at a municipal creche in the Bordeaux suburb of Begles. The sprouts were grown from rocket, fenugreek and mustard seeds that came from a British mail order seed and plant company. Ipswich-based Thomson & Morgan told the BBC on Saturday that it was cooperating in the French investigation but that it was 'highly unlikely' the seeds were responsible. The company had sold 'hundreds of thousands of packets of these seeds' throughout France, Britain and other parts of Europe every year and had no reported problems.' It was more likely that 'the way that they were used and handled' had caused the contamination. Britain's Food Standards Agency, which is assisting the French in their investigation, said there had been no reported cases there of food poisoning linked to the seeds. The FSA is however advising people not to eat sprouted seeds, including alfalfa, mung beans (or beansprouts) and fenugreek unless cooked until steaming hot throughout. Of the five people still in hospital in Bordeaux at the weekend, one 78-year-old woman's condition deteriorated Saturday and was described as 'worrisome' by the regional health authority. No link had been established yet with the German E coli outbreak, which came from bean sprouts grown on an organic farm. It has also not yet been established that the Bordeaux outbreak was caused by the vegetable sprouts. The origin of the seeds used to make the sprouts is unclear. Thomson & Morgan says it sources its seeds all over the world. Francois-Xavier Weill, a microbiologist at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, which is carrying out tests on samples taken from the patients, told the Journal du Dimanche the seeds could have come from the same consignment as the seeds used to make the German sprouts. Frederic Lefebvre, French Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, on Friday demanded that sales of the seeds be immediately suspended and recommended people not eat the seeds. Necker's Patrick Berche also recommended against eating vegetable sprouts. The outbreak comes days after a E coli outbreak in a group of children in the northern city of Lille. That outbreak came from frozen supermarket beef burgers.


    Paris - This week's outbreak of E Coli in the south-western French city of Bordeaux bears the hallmarks of the outbreak that claimed dozens of lives in Germany, French media reports said Sunday.


    'Like in Germany, the strain is very virulent, it produces a lot of toxins, it is very resistant to antibiotics. Adults are affected and, besides renal complications, it can cause neurological complications,' Professor Patrick Berche, head of the bacteriology department at Necker Hospital in Paris told Le Journal du Dimanche weekly.
    Seven people were hospitalized this week in Bordeaux with E coli.
    Two of the patients have type 0104 enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) - the strain that has killed over 40 people, mostly in Germany, since May.
    Several of the patients had eaten vegetable sprouts at an end-of-term party at a municipal creche in the Bordeaux suburb of Begles.
    The sprouts were grown from rocket, fenugreek and mustard seeds that came from a British mail order seed and plant company.
    Ipswich-based Thomson & Morgan told the BBC on Saturday that it was cooperating in the French investigation but that it was 'highly unlikely' the seeds were responsible.
    The company had sold 'hundreds of thousands of packets of these seeds' throughout France, Britain and other parts of Europe every year and had no reported problems.' It was more likely that 'the way that they were used and handled' had caused the contamination.
    Britain's Food Standards Agency, which is assisting the French in their investigation, said there had been no reported cases there of food poisoning linked to the seeds.
    The FSA is however advising people not to eat sprouted seeds, including alfalfa, mung beans (or beansprouts) and fenugreek unless cooked until steaming hot throughout.
    Of the five people still in hospital in Bordeaux at the weekend, one 78-year-old woman's condition deteriorated Saturday and was described as 'worrisome' by the regional health authority.
    No link had been established yet with the German E coli outbreak, which came from bean sprouts grown on an organic farm.
    It has also not yet been established that the Bordeaux outbreak was caused by the vegetable sprouts.
    The origin of the seeds used to make the sprouts is unclear.
    Thomson & Morgan says it sources its seeds all over the world.
    Francois-Xavier Weill, a microbiologist at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, which is carrying out tests on samples taken from the patients, told the Journal du Dimanche the seeds could have come from the same consignment as the seeds used to make the German sprouts.
    Frederic Lefebvre, French Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, on Friday demanded that sales of the seeds be immediately suspended and recommended people not eat the seeds.
    Necker's Patrick Berche also recommended against eating vegetable sprouts.
    The outbreak comes days after a E coli outbreak in a group of children in the northern city of Lille. That outbreak came from frozen supermarket beef burgers.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    Well, this is bad.

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  3. #3
    Shneckie's Avatar Vicarius
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    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    So if the blamed party only distributes the seeds then how are they at fault? Surely it's obvious that this is the fault of the business who handled and distributed the final product? Or do I know all about agriculture?

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    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    Quote Originally Posted by Shneckie View Post
    So if the blamed party only distributes the seeds then how are they at fault? Surely it's obvious that this is the fault of the business who handled and distributed the final product? Or do I know all about agriculture?
    I agree with you.DO these French frogs not test the bloody food Oh and diddnt the Germans blame the Spanish at 1st now they are being sued.Be carefull France or Britain will sue for damages

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    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    Ahh and the blame game continues.

  6. #6

    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    Sort of par for the course to blame British agriculture for the French, though.

    The company has pointed out that of the hundreds of thousands of seeds they shipped, this outbreak seems restricted to one French town... soooooo... probably not them.

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    sabaku_no_gaara's Avatar Indefinitely Banned
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    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    Brits are civilised, they don't sue

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    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    They are also good at growing veg.We Irish thaught them.Especially the spuds

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    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    Must resist potato joke.

    Seems a tad odd that, as the company has pointed out, the outbreak occurs in only 1 French town. Perhaps the seeds did cause the outbreak, but that would logically point to them becoming contaminated in Bordeaux rather than at source, else we'd have outbreaks everywhere these seeds went.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: French outbreak of "German EHEC", blames British sprouts

    The seeds were grown into sprouts by school children in the town. I 100% guarantee that one of those children did not wash thier hands properly after using the toilet or that one of the people preparing the food had lacklustre hygiene. That would certainly explain how this outbreak is limited to 1 town in France as opposed to all over Europe, especially considering the company sell huge numbers of seeds across Europe.
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