Five in U.S. now linked to German E. coli outbreak

The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday added a case to the count. Unlike the previous four, the new case was not someone who had been to Germany - it was a family member who apparently was infected from close contact with one of the travellers.

Doctor Gergana Krumova, a lab specialist isolates Escherichia coli bacteria strain at the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency's microbiological laboratory in Sofia on Friday. Photo: AP.

Health officials say the count of U.S. cases linked to the food poisoning outbreak in Europe has grown to five.

The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday added a case to the count. Unlike the previous four, the new case was not someone who had been to Germany - it was a family member who apparently was infected from close contact with one of the travellers.

One case has been confirmed as the same form of E. coli, and the other four are still suspected. They include people in Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Michigan. None died.

European officials say sprouts from a farm in northern Germany caused the outbreak that has killed 31 people, sickened nearly 3,100 and prompted much of Europe to shun vegetables.