LONDON – The E. coli bacteria responsible for a deadly (outbreak) that has left 18 dead and sickened hundreds in Europe is a new strain that has never been seen before, the World Health (Organization) said Thursday.
Preliminary genetic sequencing suggests the strain is a mutant form of two different E. coli bacteria, with (aggressive) genes that could explain why the Europe-wide outbreak appears to be so (massive) and dangerous, the agency said.
Hilde Kruse, a food safety expert at the WHO, told The Associated Press that "this is a unique strain that has never been (isolated) from patients before."
She added that the new strain has "various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing" than the many E. coli strains people naturally carry in their (intestines.)
So far, the mutant E. coli strain has sickened more than 1,500 people, including 470 who have developed a rare (kidney) failure complication, and killed 18, including one overnight in Germany, the country hit hardest by the outbreak.
Researchers have been unable to (pinpoint) the cause of the illness, which has hit at least nine European countries, and prompted Russia on Thursday to extend a ban on vegetables to the entire European Union.
相关阅读:
医学英语口语课程
医学英语水平免费测试