China said on Friday that no E. coli (EHEC) case has been reported in the country so far.

Deng Haihua, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, told a press conference that China faces relatively low risk of an outbreak of EHEC, a food-borne bacteria, since the country imports only a limited amount of fresh vegetables.

However Deng warned of the potential appearance of imported cases due to the frequent personnel exchanges between China and European nations.

The Ministry has urged related authorities to carry out meticulous surveillance and prevention measures.

EHEC is a virulent strain of gut bacterium that can cause severe upset stomach, diarrhea, and stroke. In extreme cases, it can lead to a coma or kidney failure.