BERLIN, June 8 (UPI) -- The worst of the deadly E.coli outbreak is over, German Health Minister Daniel Bahr said Wednesday, even as at least one new case in France was reported.
As he said "the worst of the illness is behind us," Bahr warned that there likely would be new cases and more fatalities, Radio France Internationale reported.
The number of new infections from the E.coli bacteria strain that killed at least 24 people was dropping Bahr said before a Berlin meeting of European ministers on the crisis. Thousands of people were sickened.
French officials confirmed one conclusive case and another probable case of E.coli Wednesday, RFI said. Thirteen cases of bloody diarrhea were reported in France by people who recently visited or lived in Germany since the outbreak began.
European Union agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos urged Germany to quickly trace the origin of the outbreak.
Several mistaken attributions blamed various vegetables and sprouts, costing European Union farmers "hundreds of millions of euros," Belgian Agriculture Minister Sabine Laruelle said.
Ciolos has pledged to "substantially" increase the $219 million in compensation offered to farmers.
