Bacteria has infected over 1,800 people

MORE than 1,800 people across the globe have been infected in a toxic E coli outbreak — believed to be the world’s deadliest.

Some 18 people have been confirmed dead, 17 of them in Germany, where the outbreak began.

Almost 200 new cases have been reported in Germany in the last few days, and people in 12 countries have fallen ill.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 1,823 cases have been identified globally, including 1,733 in Germany.

Around one in three of those affected have been hit by haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) — a deadly complication of E coli which affects the blood, kidneys and, in severe cases, the central nervous system.

Seven people in Britain — three Britons and four German nationals — are being treated, including three for HUS.

Experts in Germany said yesterday there were signs that the infection could be slowing, but have warned more cases will arise.

The outbreak is thought to be the deadliest in recent world history, and is one of the biggest.

In 1996, 12 people died during a Japanese outbreak, while seven died in a Canadian outbreak in 2000.

Most of the recent cases are among people from northern Germany or those who have visited the area, where experts are trying to find the source of the outbreak.

Scientists believe salad vegetables and leaves may be to blame, although WHO says “the origin of the outbreak still remains unknown”.

The bug has now been identified in people in the Czech Republic, France and the United States, as well as Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Britain.

Last night, experts from WHO said the strain of E coli was extremely rare and, although seen in humans previously, it has never been at the centre of an outbreak.

The strain is known to be resistant to many antibiotics, making treatment difficult.

Experts have been warning people to follow good hygiene, including washing hands after using the toilet and before touching food, to avoid spreading E coli.

German newspapers reported doctors having to give blood transfusions to those hardest hit in the north of the country.

Lutz Schmidt, medical chief of the Hamburg blood donation service, told Die Welt: “We need blood, plasma too. The stocks need to be replenished.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended an earlier false alarm on organic Spanish cucumbers that angered Madrid. The German advisory on the Spanish produce, retracted this week, left tens of thousands of tonnes of Spanish produce unsold, costing Spanish growers an estimated €200 million a week. Berlin and Madrid said they had agreed to seek compensation at the European level.

In Britain, the Health Protection Agency is urging people travelling to Germany to avoid eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers and leafy salad, including lettuce.

Anyone returning from Germany with an illness, including bloody diarrhoea, should also seek medical attention.

Analysis of the bug at the Beijing Genomics Institute showed the bacterium is an enterohemorrhagic E coli (EHEC) O104 strain, but is a “new serotype — not previously involved in any E coli outbreaks”.

The most severe E coli cases are usually seen in children and the elderly, but female adults appear to be the worst affected this time.

One possibility is that they eat more salad and fresh vegetables than men and children.

Professor Giuseppe Cornaglia, president of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), said: “This most recent E coli epidemic, of a strain previously unseen in an outbreak, shows us yet again that new bacteria and infections are just around the corner, and we are far from winning the fight against infectious diseases in Europe.

“It reminds us that we continue to face new challenges, and must ensure we are vigilant in our preparedness, including monitoring, detection, and speedy and appropriate treatment.”

The ESCMID said northern Germany was experiencing problems with a lack of intensive care beds due to the high number of cases with life-threatening complications.

Using antibiotics to treat patients has been previously discouraged due to fears it could make the disease more aggressive.

However, experts in Germany have now said antibiotic therapy should not be withheld in some circumstances.