E.Coli research to get €2 million EU investment

Over €2 million, equal to $3 million will be invested into research of a new E.Coli strain by the European Union (EU).

Approximately 4,000 Europeans were infected with the new strain of E.Coli earlier this year and 51 people died.

The outbreak of the food-borne bacteria caused huge financial losses to vegetable farmers across Europe after it was linked to cucumbers and other EU vegetables.

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Russia imports approximately €600 million worth of EU vegetables a year but it banned such activities on June 2 after they were suspected of carrying the E.Coli virus.

The source of the E.Coli outbreak was eventually indentified as being Egyptian fenugreek seeds and vegetable farmers across Europe are now hoping to receive €227 million in compensation.

The EU now wants to “get as full a scientific picture as possible” of the strain to help organise effective preventions and responses in the future.

The investment is part of the €12 million project designed to reinforce Europe’s ability to outbreaks of this nature.

In a statement the European Commission said: “the research will focus on ways to prevent future epidemics and deal with new outbreaks.”