Dept issues warning amid e.coli scare

The Department of Foreign Affairs is advising people travelling to Germany to avoid eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce while there.

The warning comes as it emerges that the strain of lethal bacteria that has killed 18 people in Europe is "very rare" and has never been seen in an outbreak before.

Seventeen of those killed were in Germany and one in Sweden while more than 2,000 people have fallen sick from the bug since May 22.