Deadly E. coli strain found in France

PARIS, June 25 (UPI) -- At least eight people have been sickened in France by the same E. coli strain traced to sprouts grown in Germany that killed 45 people, health officials said.

The new outbreak was traced to sprouts grown in France, The New York Times reported. But health officials say both outbreaks may be linked to seeds bought from a contaminated source.

Seven of those infected in France were at a fundraising event at a children's play center in a Bordeaux suburb, and most said they ate gazpacho garnished with sprouts.

The earlier outbreak infected at least 3,000 people, including several hundred who became seriously ill. Most of the victims were German or had been to Germany recently, and the immediate source was determined to be a commercial sprouter.

Experts said more outbreaks are likely if the ultimate source of the E. coli isn't identified.

"If there's no linear connection from the first outbreak, then the simplest and the most ominous explanation is there's an upstream source and that's very concerning because that stuff could still be being distributed," Phillip Tarr, a microbiologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told the Times.