EHEC investigation against organic farm

EHEC: Public prosecutor's office is investigating preliminary proceedings against Biohof Bienenbüttel

27/06/2011

According to the public prosecutor Oldenburg is determined against the organic farm in Bienenbüttel in Lower Saxony due to the sprouts contaminated with EHEC bacteria. In part, the investigative authorities levy serious offenses against the organic farm. Meanwhile, some scientists have warned about an EHEC transmission through the drinking water.

Numerous offenses are reviewed
The public prosecutor Oldenburg has opened a preliminary investigation against the Lower Saxony organic farm in Bienenbüttel. Due to the sprouts contaminated with EHEC, the farm was probably guilty of multiple offenses. The investigating authorities are currently investigating the allegation of a „Violation of food law“, the „Placing on the market toxic substances“ as well as the „negligent assault“. Since the infectious disease had caused a total of 42 deaths, is also the charge „negligent homicide“ checked. However, the investigations were not initiated on the basis of a determination of authorities, but by an ad of a single citizen. For example, the chief public prosecutor Rainer du Mesnil de Rochemont emphasized that the investigations were based on a criminal complaint filed by a „well informed citizen“. In the meantime confirmed the acceptance of the health authorities, the sprouts have circulated the dangerous pathogens. The source of the infection wave was the organic farm.

Criminal application is already longer
Shortly after the EHEC Fund found in the operation, the public prosecutor in Lüneburg had reported that a criminal complaint due to the negligent homicide and the „Community poisoning“ vorliege. The complaint was then forwarded to the Central Office for Agricultural Criminal Matters in Oldenburg. There, the allegations are checked with the knowledge of the cause of the dissemination. Once the examination is completed, a decision on the possible initiation of criminal proceedings will be taken. The complaint was filed by a private citizen who was not affected by the condition but had a sound knowledge of the subject matter. A few days before the announcement had become known that the organic farm is suspected of spreading the sprouts me the exciter type O104. In the production plant itself, one employee was ill and showed the typical EHEC symptoms.

Biobauernhof already 25 years without problems on the market
The company no longer sells any goods since the official find. For 25 years, sprouts of various varieties have been bred from the organic farm. It was not until January of this year that the products had been tested for bacterial contamination. It had come to no negative findings, as the management stressed. As a result of the EHEC incidents, the company had independently inspected sprouts and sprouts on EHEC germs in May. These tests were also negative, according to the company. The company did not want to comment on the investigation. On the company's website you can find out about the finds deeply „shocked“. The authorities will have to check whether the company acted negligently and the hygiene regulations were adhered to.

EHEC dissemination through the drinking water?
Meanwhile, some scientists warn of EHEC contamination in drinking water. So said Martin Exner, director of the hygiene institute of the university hospital Bonn and chairman of the drinking water commission of the Federal Environment Agency opposite the „mirror“, that the „Danger from microbiological contamination of drinking water“ has been underestimated so far. Researchers believe that the germ has the ability to nest in the environment outside the gut. The bacterium will try so to come sometime in humans, warned Helge Karch, chairman of the Institute of Hygiene of the University Hospital Münster. However, the danger is rather low in large cities, because there the drinking water is tested several times daily. The situation is different in the country. There are only small plants. According to an analysis by the World Health Organization WHO, bacteria were found in 5 percent of samples from small waterworks. And every other well contained intestinal bacteria.

Federal Environmental Agency warns against the scare tactics of individual scientists
The Federal Environment Agency warns, however, of premature analysis and alarmism. A danger from the drinking water is excluded. President Jochen Flasbarth warned against the newspaper „Scaremongering. Independent researchers of the drinking water commission of the Federal Environment Agency had excluded an EHEC danger by the drinking water. EHEC bacteria are very rare in sewage or water. „Since the proportion of EHEC sufferers in the population is very low, there are only rare EHEC among the intestinal bacteria that occur in waste water.“, so Flasbarth. „So far, there is no evidence that the EHEC strain, which triggered the current wave of disease, can multiply in water.“ This would also confirm all available data. (Sb)

Also read:
EHEC epidemic: 42 deaths so far
EHEC pathogen in the Erlenbach
EHEC: All-clear for vegetables
EHEC: Do not eat self-pulled sprouts
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EHEC infections: first signs of slowing
WHO: New EHEC pathogen triggers infections
EHEC: DRK calls for blood donations
Green cucumbers no EHEC transmitter
Quick test detects EHEC symptoms

Picture: Gerd Altmann