Deadly E. coli bacteria linked to contaminated cucumbers is claiming lives in Europe, where today a 16th victim was reported dead, including the first person outside of Germany. Over a thousand other patients across Europe are also reeling from the outbreak, which is one of the largest to ever hit the continent.
The bacteria, which causes hemorrhaging in the intestines, was found in organic cucumbers imported from Spain, packaged in Germany, and distributed to half a dozen other countries in Europe. The European Food Safety Alert Network said that the source has not yet been pinpointed, though diplomatic tensions between the European nations are arising because of the cucumbers (in a nutshell: everyone blames Spain), and some outside nations (like Russia) are banning some European vegetables entirely.
While the deadly vegetables haven't turned up in New York yet, last month we were hit with a cucumber recall over salmonella concerns, and earlier this month the FDA posted "7 Tips For Cleaning Fruits and Vegetables" to avoid more food contamination illnesses. Always remember: don't trust your food.
