According to press reports in Thailand, the government said Thursday that it had found E. coli bacteria in avocados imported from Europe and was checking whether it was the same strain as the one behind a deadly outbreak in Europe.
The government urged the public not to panic, noting that there are several types of E. coli. It said people could still eat fresh fruit and vegetables, but should wash them thoroughly or cook them to kill bacteria.
The O104 strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli was detected in a shipment of avocados from an undisclosed European country, according to a public health ministry statement.
“The Medical Science Department will have to spend 3-5 days to check whether it is a deadly strain,” it said.