--- title: European E. coli O104 (EHEC) Outbreak Linked to Sprouts date: 2011-06-02T20:12:49-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/european-e-coli-o104-ehec-outbreak-centered-in-germany" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # European E. coli O104 (EHEC) Outbreak Linked to Sprouts An E. coli O104:H4 outbreak centered in Germany has become the most deadly E. coli outbreak in history. As of June 27, the outbreak had killed 48 people and sickened 3917. Of the ill, at least 878 contracted [hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)](http://www.about-hus.com "Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)"), a severe, life-threatening complication of E. coli infection that can result in kidney failure and central nervous system impairment. When first announced in May, the outbreak was thought be linked to cucumbers grown in Spain, though German health officials later deemed that to be incorrect. Lettuce and tomatoes from northern Germany were also implicated, but those too were not deemed the source of the outbreak. As illnesses and deaths grew, on June 5 German officials announced that bean sprouts from an organic farm in northern Germany were likely the offending food. On June 6, officials said initial tests provided no evidence that the bean sprouts were behind the outbreak. On June 10, The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's national disease control center, lifted warnings against eating tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuces and ruled that vegetable sprouts from an organic farm in Germany were the cause of the outbreak. 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [E. coli Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-food-poisoning) What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so... ###### [E. coli O157:H7](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in... ###### [Non-O157 STEC](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/non-o157-stec) Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. 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