The death toll from the E. coli outbreak in Europe rose to 24 from 22 on Tuesday, and the number of sick people in Germany increased to 2,325 as a World Health Organization expert warned time is running out on finding the source of the problem.

The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s national disease control centre, says 23 people have died in Germany and one in Sweden.

Ninety-four more people have been infected in Germany in the deadliest E. coli outbreak in modern history. The number of sick in other European countries remained at about 100.

The institute says the latest figures indicate the number of new cases is declining, a sign the epidemic might have reached its peak.

But the institute cautions it is not certain whether the latest decrease will continue in the coming days. The number of sick people suffering from a serious complication that may lead to kidney failure rose by 12 to 642.