The outbreak was thought to have been started

Officials in Germany are warning people there not to eat raw cucumbers, leaf lettuce, or tomatoes. The reason: an outbreak of E. coli. That’s a bacteria that can be transmitted through contaminated food or water, especially raw vegetables. Reports have connected at least 16 deaths to the outbreak. Hundreds of other people have gotten sick. German authorities are trying to contain the outbreak. In the meantime, scientists are trying to figure out where it started. They don’t have mat answer yet. They think it could be traced back to produce from Spain. Germany buys more Spanish fruits and vegetables than any other country. And the concerns about those foods could cost Spain’s food industry millions of dollars.