Thursday, June 9, 2011

Death toll of German killer bacteria outbreak hits 30

A laboratory worker tests Hungarian cucumbers for bacteria at the Food and Feed Safety Directorate of the Central Agricultural Office in Budapest. (File photo)

The death toll from an outbreak of killer bacteria centered on Germany jumped to at least 30 on Thursday, as EU and Russian leaders got ready to cross swords over Moscow's ban on EU vegetables.

The latest victim was a 57-year-old man in Frankfurt who last month travelled with his wife to the northern city of Hamburg, an epicenter of the outbreak, authorities in the western city said.