E. coli Outbreak

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Visitors from Europe who are down with bloody diarrhoea have been advised to undergo medical examination at nearby health centres.

It was reported that cucumbers carried the Entero­haemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) pathogen, a particularly virulent strain of E. coli. Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) resulted from contamination of the EHEC bacteria.

It ruptures red blood cells, thus causing haemolytic anaemia, acute renal failure and low platelet count (thrombocytopenia).

The symptoms were abdominal cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhoea (dysentery). The symptoms can cause dehydration, tiredness, lethargy, anaemia, uraemia and bleeding tendencies.

They can be seen in three to eight days and victims usually recover after 10 days without any complication. The mortality rate resulting from the bacterial infection stood at between 5% and 10%.

Outbreak of the bacterial infection was first reported on April 25.

In a related development, the Federation of Malaysian Vegetable Growers Associations has assured the public that cucumbers sold locally are not imported from Europe. The small portion of imported cucumbers sold locally was sourced from China, Thailand or Indonesia.

But most of the cucumbers sold in supermarkets are grown locally. Malaysia did not import cucumbers from Europe because the costs of transportation were too high.