German farm in deadly E. coli outbreak to reopen

[July 15, 2011]  BERLIN (AP) -- German authorities say a farm involved in a deadly E. coli outbreak is being cleared to reopen following thorough testing and the removal of all fenugreek seeds -- considered the likely source.

The outbreak was traced in early June to the vegetable sprout farm at Bienenbuettel, south of Hamburg. European authorities later said one batch of fenugreek seeds from Egypt was probably the source of the bacterial outbreak that killed 53 people -- 51 in Germany, and one each in Sweden and the U.S.

The state agriculture ministry in Lower Saxony said Thursday that there is no further need to keep the farm closed after negative tests on all employees and possible sources of infection there. It said all stocks of fenugreek seeds were removed from the farm.

[Associated Press]

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