E. Coli Strain Is New Mutation

The E. coli strain that's infected more than 1,500 people in Germany is a previously unknown and unusually deadly strain, the World Health Organization reports. According to a Chinese laboratory working with German scientists, the contagion is caused by a “new strain of bacteria that is highly infectious and toxic” and carries “several antibiotic-resistant genes.” A German scientist investigating the bacteria said it causes a virulent complication that attacks the kidneys and can be lethal. Investigators still don't know what's causing the outbreak, which has killed 17 people. Spain is demanding that Germany repay it for damage done by earlier allegations of tainted cucumbers, and Russia is banning all vegetable imports from the European Union.