Thursday, June 2, 2011

World Health Organization Says Virulent E. Coli Strain Was Previously Unknown

The World Health Organization said on Thursday that an unusually lethal strain of E. coli, which has infected more than 1,500 people in Germany, mystified public health officials and threatened to touch off panic in Europe, was a previously unknown variant of the bacteria, raising new concerns about the extent and severity of the contagion.

The story continues to take a sinister turn and with a previously unknown variant could indicate a biological attack. Germany recently crossed Iran by voting to extend economic sanctions over the failed nuclear weapons talks. There is also the potential that the Spanish economy needing a bailout from Germany could have lead to a terrorist attack, either to humiliate the Germans or Spanish governments. Al Qaeda has cells in both Spain and Germany and could be using the cover of these state of affairs between Germany and Iran or Spain to deflect attention away from themselves.

The German government is most likely reluctant to declare this a terrorist attack without overwhelming proof. The economic damage if this proves to be an attack is immeasurable

NYTimes.com

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