The EU argued the Russian ban was (disproportionate). Frederic Vincent, a spokesman for the EU's Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli, said Thursday that the European Commission would write to Russia to demand further (clarification).
One expert said the fact the strain is new may have complicated the response to the outbreak. "Officials may not have had the correct tests to detect it, which may explain the initial delay in reporting," said Paul Hunter, a (professor) of health protection at the University of East Anglia in England.
He said the number of new cases would likely slow to a (trickle) in the next few days. The incubation period for this type of E. coli is about three to eight days, and most people recover within 10 days.
"Salads have a relatively short shelf life and it's likely the (contaminated) food would have been consumed in one to two weeks," Hunter said.
But Hunter warned the outbreak could continue if there is secondary transmission of the disease, which often happens when children are infected. The disease can be spread when infected people don't take proper (hygiene) measures, like bathing or handwashing.