E. coli outbreakGermany's E. coli outbreak mystery deepens

Published 9 June 2011

Germany desperately tries to identify source of deadliest-ever recorded outbreak of E. coli, while country leaders concede that country was unprepared

Teams of scientists and investigators have fanned across Germany, desperately trying to identify the cause of Germany’s deadly E. coli outbreak, while doctors struggle to treat a growing number of patients. Spiegel reports that as the deadliest-ever recorded outbreak of E. coli continues to spread in Germany and to other countries, one thing has become clear: health authorities were not fully prepared. Experts say Germany’s alert system is primitive compared to those in other developed nations.