Germany 'in Spain compensation bid' as 12 countries confirm E.coli cases

Germany is considering pushing for EU compensation for Spanish farmers after it erroneously blamed its vegetable produce for starting the E.coli outbreak that has killed up to 18 people, Spain said.

In a website note posted late yesterday, the Spanish government said Chancellor Angela Merkel had told Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero that she regretted the damage caused, but explained that Hamburg authorities who cited Spanish cucumbers as a suspected source of the outbreak had acted in accordance with German law.

The German allegation led to a virtual freezing of exports of Spanish fruit and vegetables, causing major financial losses for the country’s farmers, although no figure has yet been given.

On Tuesday, German authorities admitted that although E.coli was found on the vegetables it was of a strain different to that which lead to the deaths.

Hundreds of other people have also been sickened by the outbreak across Europe.

In Berlin, Ms Merkel’s spokesman said the German leader had expressed her “understanding” of concerns about the E.coli outbreak’s affect on Spanish agriculture.

Steffen Seibert said the two leaders agreed to remain in close contact and work together with the European Union to try and resolve the crisis.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has said that 12 countries now had confirmed cases of a new, deadly strain of E.coli.

The Czech Republic, France and the US have all been added to the list today.

Eighteen people have died and a more than 1,600 people have been affected. All but two cases have been detected in people from northern Germany, or who had recently visited there.

Irish consumers have being reassured that the products contaminated by the mutant strain of the bacteria have not reached Ireland.

However, anyone who has been to Germany recently and feels unwell is advised to seek medical help.

Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority Professor Alan Reilly said the current scare would die down in the coming weeks as the affected food went out of date.