Two United States servicemembers may soon join the ranks of hundreds of Germans who've been identified as having been infected with E. coli, according to the Stars and Stripes. The paper reports military investigators have visited both a soldier and an airman stationed overseas who spent some time in German hospitals with intestinal distress. They've collected some samples from the two, and will test them to see if they were sickened by E. coli.
Phillip Tegtmeier, Europe Regional Medical Command spokesman, told the Stars and Stripes that the military is not releasing any identifying details about the two servicemembers - like name, sex, age, or rank - to protect their identities. He would reveal that the soldier was hospitalized and released in the Heidelberg area, while the airman is still at a hospital near Spangdahlem Air Base.
The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the E. coli outbreak gripping Europe is the deadliest on record, according to the Daily Mail. The death toll is now at 18. The Mail also reports there are now three confirmed cases of E. coli among American civilians who recently traveled to Germany, although they are expected to survive.
