The European Union (EU) as of today, using the new case definition that excludes 7 deaths, the cumulative number of non-HUS STEC cases in the EU is 3,041 (excludes 5 from France), including 16 deaths, and 757 HUS STEC (excludes 156) cases, including 28 deaths. The EU does not count the 4 HUS cases, 1 death and 2 non-HUS STEC cases.

The EU finds that in Germany, since 8 July, five HUS STEC cases and 13 non-HUS STEC cases have been newly reported. Four HUS STEC cases and twelve non-HUS STEC cases fell ill within the last 10 days (29 June – 8 July). The last known date of illness onset in a patient with confirmed STEC O104 was 27 June 2011. The last reported date of illness onset among all cases was 4 July 2011.

The United Kingdom reports an additional confirmed non-HUS STEC case, in a visiting German national coming from Hamburg.

With regards to the outbreak in Bordeaux, France, since the last update on 30 June, two HUS STEC cases and three non-HUS STEC cases have been newly confirmed. Three of these cases had eaten sprouted seeds at an event in Bègles, and the other two (one HUS STEC, one non-HUS STEC) have been attributed to person-to-person transmission.

The table below shows the distribution of reported cases per country, excluding suspected cases.

Note: the numbers in this table represent the total number of cases reported at the European level (ECDC) so far. Although daily numbers of reported cases have steadily decreased in the last weeks, these cumulative numbers continue to rise due to reporting delays at the various levels.

Suspected cases (Germany: 156 HUS (7 deaths), France: 5 non-HUS STEC) are not included.

* Cases reported from the new outbreak in Bordeaux

** Cases reported earlier, linked to travel to Germany

The WHO reports different numbers. The table below shows the total number of globally reported (as of 06 July) cases of and deaths from E. coli (EAggEC VTEC) O104:H4 infection since the beginning of the outbreak in Germany on 1 May 2011. In total, 16 countries in Europe and North America have reported 3941 cases of E. coli O104:H4 infection, including 52 fatalities.

The European Union banned the import of certain Egyptian seeds and beans last Tuesday following an official report that a single batch of well-travelled Egyptian fenugreek seeds probably caused two European outbreaks (germany and France) of E. coli poisoning.  A task force of health officials set up by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reported that “one lot of fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt is the most likely common link between the two outbreaks.