Germany looking for source of outbreak

LONDON – Germany scrambled Wednesday to pinpoint the source of a deadly outbreak of food-borne bacterial infections that have killed at least 16 people, sickened hundreds more and sparked a diplomatic squabble with Spain.

The mass outbreak of E. coli infections is the worst of its kind in recent memory in Germany. Since the beginning of May, more than 1,000 residents have fallen ill from contaminated food, including 470 suffering from a more virulent and potentially life-threatening reaction known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure, strokes and seizures.

Normally, Germany records only about 50 to 60 cases of the syndrome a year.

In addition, a few dozen infections have been reported in other European countries, with one dead. Almost all the victims had recently been in northern Germany, officials said.

German health authorities trace the outbreak to tainted lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes.

However, researchers have been stymied in their attempts to pinpoint the contamination’s source. Ilse Aigner, the nation’s food and agriculture minister, told German television Wednesday that “hundreds of tests” had already been conducted but that more were needed.