Scientists are calling it a very rare, "super toxic" strain of the E.coli bacteria. And it's wreaking havoc in Europe. We bring you the latest and ask what would happen if the strain showed up in North America.

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Part Three of The Current

E.coli Outbreak - Reaction

We started this segment with a clip from Oliver Grieve. He's the spokesperson at the Schleswig-Holstein University Medical Centre in Northern Germany. Germany is where the first cases of the current European E. coli outbreak were reported in May. Since then it's spread through Europe, killing 18 and leaving 1,500 others ill. Mr. Grieve's hospital has been seeing patients since the first day.

Scientists are calling it a very rare, "super toxic" strain of the bacteria. As to where it came from? No one really knows. The first cases of infection in Germany were traced to a shipment of cucumbers from Spain.

But it's not clear whether the cucumbers were infected at the source or in transit. All that uncertainty has led to a lot of fear. A number of countries have now banned vegetable imports. They're trying to prevent further spread of infection.

Germany is the country hardest hit by the outbreak. People there are extra wary about what they put in their mouth these days. The outbreak was all anyone was talking about at a cafe in Bonn yesterday. We aired a clip.

Most of the victims have died in Germany .But the fear is spreading across the continent. We aired a clip with what people in London were saying yesterday.

E.coli Outbreak - Glenn Morris

The World Health Organization says the current E. coli outbreak is the result of a mutant strain that hasn't been seen before. Dr. Glenn Morris is the director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida. It's currently studying this particular strain of E. coli. Glenn Morris joined us from Gainesville, Florida.

E.coli Outbreak - Panel

The E.coli outbreak wasn't just weighing on the minds of Europeans yesterday. The fears were felt as far away as Montreal's Jean Talon Market. We aired a clip with what shoppers there had to say.

We did request an interview with someone from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. But they told us no one was available to join us this morning. They did, however, send us a statement. Here's an excerpt:

Currently, there is no indication that any contaminated product has been shipped to Canada.

However, as a safety precaution, the CFIA is implementing enhanced border and surveillance controls for cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes from European countries affected by the current E.coli outbreak.

If any products are determined to be a health risk, the CFIA will work with importers and distributors to help ensure these products do not reach the Canadian marketplace. The CFIA maintains rigorous controls and tracking systems for imported food.

For more on the situation in Canada, we were joined by two experts in the field. Sylvain Charlebois is a member of the Advisory Board for the CFIA. He's an Associate Dean at the University of Guelph, where he studies food distribution and safety. He was in Guelph today. Rick Holley is a professor of food microbiology and food safety in the Department of Food Science at the University of Manitoba. He was in Winnipeg today.

Related Links:

• Outbreak is new form of E.coli By James Gallagher - BBC News
• E.coli outbreak: WHO says bacterium is a new strain By Maev Kennedy- The Guardian
• Toll climbs in European E. coli outbreak By Jessica Leeder - Globe and Mail

Other segments from today's show:

• Harper in Quebec
• Sweat Lodge (Documentary)