No signs of E coli
Medical Research Institute yesterday said they tested samples of water, blood, food, vegetables and fruits for strains of E coli, and the samples showed no infection of the bacteria.
No person has tested positive for E coli so far in the country, the bacteriologists and virologists of the Medical Research Institute (MRI) yesterday told the Daily News.
The institutes' bacteriologist Dr P Somarathna said although there is no threat from the bacteria, that has killed over 44 persons and affected thousands of people in Germany and France, the Sri Lankans are advised to practice basic hygiene at all times to protect against food-borne diseases.
It is advisable to eat properly prepared cooked food, said the doctor. Consumption of raw vegetables and fruits has reportedly caused the spread of E coli in Europe.
Meanwhile Health Ministry sources said the country needs not panic because it does not import fruits and vegetable from Europe,
Health Ministry has instructed Sri Lanka Customs to be extra vigilant about imported food items.
According to Colombo Municipal Council Medical Officers E coli is found in Sri Lanka , but it is not the brand of E coli that has caused the disease outbreak in Europe.
"It is fairly new and different to the one we find in local eating houses in the CMC area," they said.
We have no records of the European brand of E coli found in Sri Lanka, they added.
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