The accumulation of E. coli bacteria: How risky could it potentially be?

In Hamm, the authorities are gearing up for a double event in 2025, hosting Open Doors at HSHL and Hamm erFahren. Meanwhile, public health officials are closely monitoring an ongoing EHEC outbreak in both Germany and Belgium.

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), a pathogenic strain of intestinal bacteria commonly found in ruminants, has been causing concern. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, the number of EHEC infections has risen to 17, with several children being treated in intensive care units. This follows a surge in cases last year, where more than 130 cases were recorded, compared to 80 in the previous year.

The State Clinic for Animal Health in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is responsible for investigating the possible causes of the current EHEC outbreaks. The source of infection remains unknown in both the German and Belgian cases, where around 20 people have fallen ill, and at least four deaths have been reported.

EHEC produces Shiga toxins, potent cell poisons that can cause severe diarrheal diseases and the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) in humans, which can lead to kidney failure. Children are particularly at risk from EHEC infections due to their underdeveloped immune systems and organs.

The attention is high in the current case, partly because so many children have been affected in a short period of time. The Robert Koch Institute does not see any signs of an increase in EHEC cases in other regions of Germany, but the situation is being closely monitored. It is not yet possible to say how or whether the outbreaks in Germany and Belgium are connected.

The search for the origin of the infections is like detective work, involving interviews to determine if the affected persons have visited similar places or eaten similar meals. In the meantime, the attention turns to the Hamm Cycling Challenge 2025, which will focus on traffic transition.

In other news, new postal voting documents have been issued for the election of the Integration Council in Hamm. The current situation is important to clarify urgently to determine the cause and any potential connection between the outbreaks.