E. Coli Update in Germany: Blame It on the Little Green Sprout

As reported in yesterday’s New York Times, last week’s mysterious and deadly E. coli outbreak, which left 22 people dead, over 2,000 ill, and millions of dollars in lost farm revenue, has been isolated to bean sprouts from a farm in the north of the country, now under quarantine. According to the story written by Judy Dempsey and William Neuman, sprouts are very susceptible to E. coli and salmonella because the bacteria spread like wild-fire in the warm, humid conditions in which sprouts also seem to thrive. This particular hard-to-cure example of the vicious strain was particularly resistent to treatment, stumping scientists across the globe.