German scientists found no traces of E.coli bacteria at an organic vegetable farm believed to be the source of an outbreak that has killed 22 people, but said this did not mean their suspicions were wrong. Even though first lab tests on bean sprouts from the farm were negative, officials said they were not surprised because any contaminated produce could have been long since distributed.
"This is an important lead that we're vigorously pursuing," federal Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner said in Berlin on Monday after the state agriculture ministry in Lower Saxony state said the 23 samples tested so far had been negative. Aigner repeated warnings to consumers to avoid bean sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes and salad.
In Bienenbuettel, the manager of the farm said he could not understand how his small organic food operation could be the source of an infection that is usually transmitted through faeces, or food or water contaminated with faecal bacteria. The rare Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) strain found in this outbreak is known to be able to lurk in cows' intestines.
"I can't understand how the processes we have here and the accusations could possibly fit together," Klaus Verbeck told the regional newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung. Bild newspaper reported that two workers at the farm had fallen ill. "The salad sprouts are grown only from seeds and water, and they aren't fertilised at all," Verbeck added. "There aren't any animal fertilisers used in other areas on the farm either." Scientists believed investigators were now on the right trail. A number of the victims were linked to restaurants that had been supplied by the organic farm in Bienenbuettel.
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