KUWAIT CITY, June 3: A recommendation has been forwarded to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to impose a ban on the import of cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce from Spain and Germany due to the alleged spread of EHEC bacteria in both countries, reports Al-Anba daily quoting Assistant General Manager of the Services Affairs Department and Chairman of Food Safety Committee Mohammed Ghazi Al-Otaibi.
It has been reported that scientists have identified “an entirely new super-toxic” strain of E. coli in cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce. Analysis shows the bacterium is an enterohaemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC) O104 strain, but it is a “new serotype — not previously involved in any E.coli outbreaks”. More than 90 percent of the bacterium is the same as a virulent strain that causes serious diarrhea, but the new strain has “also acquired specific sequences”. These are similar to those involved in haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) — a deadly complication of E.coli, the report added.
Al-Otaibi said the committee stressed the need to test other vegetables from both countries and ban the entry of these vegetables to Kuwait to ensure public safety. Spain requested resumption of trading of these vegetables two days ago after the German laboratory test results proved that the bacterium is not from cucumber.

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