 In May 2011 , one E. coli strain , <unk> : H4 , was the subject of a bacterial outbreak that began in Germany . Certain strains of E. coli are a major cause of foodborne illness . The outbreak started when several people in Germany were infected with <unk> E. coli ( EHEC ) bacteria , leading to hemolytic @-@ uremic syndrome ( HUS ) , a medical emergency that requires urgent treatment . The outbreak did not only concern Germany , but also 11 other countries , including regions in North America . On 30 June 2011 , the German <unk> für <unk> ( <unk> ) ( Federal Institute for Risk Assessment , a federal institute within the German Federal Ministry of Food , Agriculture and Consumer Protection ) announced that seeds of fenugreek from Egypt were likely the cause of the EHEC outbreak . 
