British officials announced four new cases, including three Britons who recently visited Germany and a German person on holiday in England.

German officials have warned people not to eat lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. To avoid (foodborne) illnesses, WHO recommends people wash their hands before eating or cooking food, separating raw and cooked meat from other foods, (thoroughly) cooking food, and washing fruits and vegetables, especially if eaten raw. Experts also recommend peeling raw fruits and vegetables if possible.

Fearful of the (outbreak) spreading into Russia, the country on Thursday extended its ban on vegetable imports to all of the EU. Russia had banned fresh imports from Spain and Germany on Monday.

Lyubov Voropayeva, spokeswoman for the Russian Agency for the Supervision of Consumer Rights, told the AP the Russian ban has been (imposed) immediately and indefinitely. No fatalities or (infections) have yet been reported in Russia.

The agency's chief Gennady Onishchenko told Russian news agencies that this "unpopular measure" would be in place until European officials inform Moscow of the cause of the (disease) and how it is being spread.

"How many more lives of European (citizens) does it take for European officials to tackle this problem?" he told the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency.