Five children have been developed hemolytic uremic syndrome amongst a total of 51 sick children — 43 younger than two-years-old — at Marie Curie Hospital in Bucharest due to E. coli O26.

Romanian minister of agriculture Achim Irimescu said Monday E. coli O26 was discovered in dairy products in Arges County especially in cottage cheese produced by ‘Lactate Bradet.’

At the same time, The National Veterinary Authority for Food Safety (ANSVSA) sent a press release by which they said that on 25 February joint teams made up of inspectors from Arges and Dolj started the action of taking samples which were sent to be analysed to the Institute for Public Health (IISPV).

According to the results of the inquiry, in which 194 samples analysed up to that date, E.coli O26 was found in a chicken sample taken from the fridge of one of the persons under inquiry. The meat came from chickens raised in the household of the respective person (Bacau county).

At the same time, the bacteria was discovered in samples taken from 25 kg of cottage cheese produced by a dairy unit in Arges (Lactate Bradet).