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THE deadly E.coli outbreak could have been spread by terrorists, say doctors.
They fear rogue groups may have deliberately implanted the killer germ into fresh produce.
Poisoning food supplies would be the perfect way for terror groups to be taken seriously, experts believe.
Though Germany has been the centre of the outbreak, Britain could also be hit as our fruit and vegetable supply is also vulnerable to attack.
The chilling warning comes as German health officials said a toxic batch of beansprouts are probably behind the latest deadly outbreak.
Scientists have warned people to avoid the vegetables which are a popular ingredient in Chinese stir fry dishes.
Klaus-Dieter Zastrow, chief doctor for hygiene at Germany’s Vivantes Hospital in Berlin, said: “It is quite possible there’s a crazy person out there who thinks: ‘I’ll kill a few people or make 10,000 ill.’
“It is a negligent mistake not to investigate in that direction.”
The Centre For The Protection Of National Infrastructure has warned it would not be beyond al-Qaida to launch a food-based attack.
It all spells disaster for British farmers who are already binning tons of salad crops as nervous shoppers shun fresh veg.
So far 22 people have died and 2,153 are ill after the super toxic E.coli strain spread across Europe.
Hospitals in the port of Hamburg, northern Germany are struggling to cope with wave after wave of new admissions.
A spokesman said the situation was “intense”.
And he added: “All the hospitals in the region are pushing their staff to the limit. Operations for non-life-threatening illnesses are now being rescheduled.”
Health protection officers are now focusing their attention on a restaurant in the north German town of Lubeck.
At least 18 people have fallen sick after eating there and one has died. But it is not thought to be the direct cause of the infection.
Microbiologist Werner Solbach, said: “The supply chain could give us clues about how the pathogen was passed along.”
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