Experts still baffled over cause of deadly E coli outbreak

SCIENTISTS are struggling to identify the cause of the mystery E coli outbreak which has already killed 18 people, infected 1,600 others and caused a war of words between Russia and the EU.

As the crisis continues to grip continental Europe, experts have admitted they do not know what has caused the deadly virus to spread throughout northern Germany, despite thousands already being infected.

After a major backtrack in recent days when Spanish authorities threatened Germany with legal action unless they confirmed the cause may not be Spanish cucumbers as first feared, Russia announced it was blocking the importation of all EU vegetables in order to restrict the crisis.