A mutant strain of E. coli that has killed at least 18 people has reached Britain, health officials confirmed yesterday.
Seven people in the United Kingdom were infected by the epidemic of food poisoning, three British and four German nationals.
All are believed to have been infected in Germany, the center of the epidemic. So far, 1,600 people became ill in 11 countries across Europe and the U.S.
The infection is especially common in women, which accounted for at least 13 of 18 deaths.
E. coli can be contagious and spreads from person to person when infected people fail to take hygiene measures like hand washing.
The bacteria causing the current outbreak is a completely new strain and carries genes that make it resistant to many common antibiotics. It produces potent toxins that can cause kidney failure.
Health officials said the "unique" strain had "characteristics that make it more virulent and produce toxins, and therefore more dangerous, and warned that this could result in a deadly E. coli outbreak ever seen .
Russia banned the import of vegetables from across the European Union.
Scientists are working to pinpoint the exact cause, but they believe that salads were infected by bacteria from animal manure used to fertilize crops.
German authorities initially blamed contaminated cucumbers Spanish, but later admitted it was false. Spain has threatened legal action on lost sales of its farmers.
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