About 1500 people in Europe have been stricken by a new and very virulent strain of E-Coli according to the World Health Organization (WHO) this week. 17 have died to date.
What is alarming officials in Europe now, is this is a previously unknown strain of E. Coli with genes from two distinctively different groups of E.Coli. This deadly combination produces bloody diarrhea and attacks the internal organs including the kidney.
17 of the victims are from Germany and one is from Sweden. Three people in the UK now have symptoms. All three were recently in Germany.
This outbreak is so alarming due to its virulence, and the Europeans are pulling out all stops to identify the origin. Meanwhile, the Russians have banned the importation of European vegetables from Europe postulating that vegetables could be contaminated. Perhaps it is in the water used to wash the vegetables.
E-Coli has been around for many years and has been the cause of numerous deaths from contamination of food and water over the years. As an example, 7 died in Walkerton, Ontario, when the local public water supplies became contaminated.
As I have done many times in the past when biological outbreaks occur and water is a possible source, I rely on my water distiller for protection. The distillation process boils the water before changing phase from a liquid to vapor (steam) which is subsequently converted to distilled water. This process is your insurance policy. Certainly well worth the investment when one considers that distilled water from a personal distiller is fresh and great tasting and costs less than bottled water.
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