The number of deaths in Germany thought to be caused by a variant of the E. coli virus found in a shipment of Spanish organic cucumbers from Málaga and Almería has risen to ten. The latest fatalities are elderly women, and more than 1,000 people have now been affected in total.
The outbreak, which began in northern Germany and has now spread to the south, is a particularly aggressive strain of E.coli and is resistant to many antibiotics.
The contaminated products were sold through the central market in Hamburg. There are no reported cases in Spain; the companies accused only export their crops and do not operate in the domestic market.
Austria has announced a ban on the sale of Spanish cucumbers, tomatoes and aubergines as a preventative measure, while France has announced three cases thought to be linked to the outbreak.
The European Commission is to investigate other possible origins of the contaminated cucumbers.
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