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European Union meets over E. coli outbreak. With scientists still seeking the source of
the deadly infection, lives claimed have risen to 25 with more than 2,700 total cases diagnosed,
while the number of patients with serious complications leading to potential kidney
failure rose to 642. Thankfully, the rate of new infections has slowed. During an urgent
meeting called in Luxembourg on Tuesday, June 7, European Union agriculture ministers offered
€150 million to compensate produce farmers whose sales have been decimated due to the
implication of their products in the deadly E. coli outbreak. Although it was recently
proven that the source of the outbreak did not originate in Spain, Spanish fruit and
vegetable producers are still losing an estimated €225 million a week due to the outbreak,
while European farmers as a whole are seeing losses of as much as €400 million a week.
Furthermore, like the Spanish cucumbers, organic bean sprouts from a German farm that were
suspected of being the source of the outbreak were also found to be without contamination.
However, the source of infection is still yet to be found. James Paton, head of the
bacterial pathogenesis laboratory at the University of Adelaide in Australia and World Health
Organization member of a panel studying antibiotic resistance in the food chain, highlighted
once again the likelihood of livestock as the original source of the infection as he
stated that manure from cattle infected with E. coli can quickly spread through both air
and water to contaminate vegetable fields.
While it saddens us to know of the tragic loss of lives due to this deadly bacteria,
we thank the European Union and all others for your efforts to bring remedy and relief
to the situation. Wishing the afflicted a swift recuperation to complete vitality as
we pray that the world also turns quickly to the health and peace of mind of animal-free
fare�