WHO/Europe has published Outbreaks of E.coli O104:H4 infection: update 27. Excerpt:
On 28 June 2011, the Institut de veille sanitaire, France, published new figures for the continuing verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC)/haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) outbreak in Bordeaux, France. In total, 8 enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) cases and 8 HUS cases were reported since 22 June. E. coli O104:H4 infection has been confirmed in 4 cases.
Also on 28 June, Sweden reported a confirmed case of E. coli O104:H4 in southern Sweden in an adult male. None of the new cases in France or Sweden were in people who had travelled in Germany since 1 May 2011.
In France, investigations continue, but initial findings suggest that locally grown bean or seed sprouts might be involved. In Sweden, the vehicle of infection remains under investigation.
On 30 June 2011, the Institut de veille sanitaire announced that the results of the analyses performed by the French national reference centre for E. coli and Shigella and its associated laboratory showed that the E. coli O104:H4 that caused the outbreak in Germany in May–June 2011 and that causing the outbreak in France in June were genetically related. This further increased the evidence pointing to a common source behind these outbreaks.
