ID :
187897
Sat, 06/11/2011 - 14:42
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http://m.oananews.org//node/187897
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Thailand detects E. coli in imported cabbage
BANGKOK, June 11 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Public Health announced on Saturday that it has detected E. coli in cabbage imported from Belgium and is checking whether it is the lethal o104 strain being spread in the northern hemisphere--which has resulted in some 2,900 infections and about 30 of them have died.
Dr. Sathaporn Wongcharoen, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Medical Sciences, confirmed that his department had found the cabbage, or kohlrabi, or German turnip, imported from Belgium contaminated with E. coli during official laboratory tests recently, but it remains unknown whether it contained the deadly O104 strain.
Dr. Sathaporn said that it will take some 3-5 days for further laboratory tests at the National Institute of Health to determine whether the detected E. coli strain is harmful.
Earlier, Thai caretaker Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit confirmed that the E. coli found in imported avocadoes from Spain was not of the deadly O104 strain and would not cause any intestinal illness. However, the ministry's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its inspections and tests on vegetables and fruits imported from Europe as a more precaution.
The Thai medical sciences department chief said, however, that local people should not be panicked, as the E. coli bacteria normally exist with vegetables and fruits, as well as other food products, water, the environment and even human intestines and will die at the temperature of 70 degrees Celsius or over, advising people to eat well-cooked food, often wash their hands and use serving spoons, wash fresh veggies well and peel fresh fruits before consumption.
Meanwhile, German officials said that they are now confident that sprouts grown at a farm in their country's northern region are the source of current outbreaks of the deadly o104 E. coli bacterium strain. (TNA)
Dr. Sathaporn Wongcharoen, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Medical Sciences, confirmed that his department had found the cabbage, or kohlrabi, or German turnip, imported from Belgium contaminated with E. coli during official laboratory tests recently, but it remains unknown whether it contained the deadly O104 strain.
Dr. Sathaporn said that it will take some 3-5 days for further laboratory tests at the National Institute of Health to determine whether the detected E. coli strain is harmful.
Earlier, Thai caretaker Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit confirmed that the E. coli found in imported avocadoes from Spain was not of the deadly O104 strain and would not cause any intestinal illness. However, the ministry's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its inspections and tests on vegetables and fruits imported from Europe as a more precaution.
The Thai medical sciences department chief said, however, that local people should not be panicked, as the E. coli bacteria normally exist with vegetables and fruits, as well as other food products, water, the environment and even human intestines and will die at the temperature of 70 degrees Celsius or over, advising people to eat well-cooked food, often wash their hands and use serving spoons, wash fresh veggies well and peel fresh fruits before consumption.
Meanwhile, German officials said that they are now confident that sprouts grown at a farm in their country's northern region are the source of current outbreaks of the deadly o104 E. coli bacterium strain. (TNA)
