ID :
187736
Fri, 06/10/2011 - 14:29
Auther :

E. coli found in Thailand's imported avocadoes not of dangerous strain

BANGKOK, June 10 (TNA) - Thai caretaker Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has confirmed that the E. coli found in imported avocadoes from Europe was not of the dangerous O104 strain and would not cause any intestinal illness.

Jurin said that the result of an official test conducted by his ministry's Department of Medical Sciences on the imported avocadoes from Europe, which came out on Friday, showed that the suspicious E. coli in the imported European avocadoes was not of the deadly O104 strain, but it was of a strain found generally in the environment and is not harmful. Jurin acknowledged that his ministry has, therefore, allowed importers to sell the avocadoes in Thailand; while the result of an official test on imported German turnips will be publicly known on June 11.

Jurin revealed that he has ordered Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to particularly screen vegetables and fruits imported from 13 European countries, where there have been reports on E. coli outbreaks, and has also told the Department of Disease Control to closely follow up the spread and sources of the deadly E. coli in Europe and to implement the World Health Organization’s measures to contain the spread of the harmful O104 bacterium.

According to the Thai health minister, the current situation of E. coli in Thailand has remained stable and his ministry can protect local people from the disease, advising that people can eat fresh vegetables and fruits as usual but they have to clean them repeatedly with water before consuming.

The Thai health minister also urged people to wash their hands before every meal and after using a toilet and to drink boiled water or bottled water with the FDA label, as E. coli is carried by food and water, saying if people consume newly-cooked food, use serving spoons and regularly wash their hands, they should remain healthy. (TNA)

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