LOC18:28
15:28 GMT
CAPITALS, July 1 (KUNA) -- Germany pointed a finger Friday at Egypt as the
possible origin of the gastric bacteria of E.Coli after German authorities
found Egyptian fenugreek seeds at a nursery garden in a German state.
German authorities said that these fenugreek seeds may be the cause of the
pandemic, though Cairo categorically rejected such accusations.
Holger Eichele, German Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson, said in press
statements that, "Egyptian fenugreek seeds have been found at a nursery garden
in the northwester State of Lower Saxony," noting that these seeds came to the
nursery garden through a retailer.
Eichele pointed out that, "German concerned bodies are conducting further
investigations now on the possible involvement of the Egyptian fenugreek in
spreading the pandemic, and what heightens their doubts that the pathogenic
bacteria source is the sprouts, and not Spanish cucumber, tomatos or salad as
it was expected."
Eu Concerned authorities which tracked the cycle of exporting the Egyptian
fenugreek seeds to EU countries revealed yesterday that such seeds may be the
cause behind the pathogenic bacteria which killed more than forty persons,
asserting that investigations are still under way in this respect.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian government refuted such German accusations, noting
that, "such strain of pathogenic bacteria was not found in Egypt at all, and
was never registered up till now."
Further, Dr. Omar Ali Suleiman, Director of the Central Administration for
Agricultural Quarantine at the Ministry of Agriculture, said in statements to
the press, that "all such allegations against the Egyptian fenugreek as the
source of the pathogenic bacteria are incorrect, and the source of such strain
of bacteria emanates from using polluted water."
Suleiman also said that Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land
reclamation Dr. Ayman Abu Hadid received a letter from the EU asserting that
the scientific bacteriological tests that were conducted in Europe, "have
never proved the validity of such possibility."
He also said that, "the Agricultural Quarantine received another letter
from the company importing the Egyptian fenugreek in Germany asserting that
all these are just allegations and an incorrect matter of suspicion."
Finally, he said that, "the Egyptian company that exported fenugreek in
2009 asserted in a letter that its exports went to Netherlands, but it never
exported fenugreek to Germany, U.K. or France." (end)
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