Russia has banned the import of all vegetables from Germany and Spain due to an outbreak of a highly virulent strain of the E. coli bacteria. The head of consumer protection agency, Gennady Onishchenkothe said if the situation does not change, then Russia will ban all European vegetable products. Enterohaemorrhagic E. Coli (EHEC) can result in full-blown haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a disease that causes diarrhoea and serious liver damage and can result in death. German officials suspect the deadly strain, which has already killed 14 people in the country, may have come from organic cucumbers imported from Spain.