Germany's disease control centre reported 365 new E. coli cases on Wednesday as the government scrambled to trace the source of the deadly outbreak.

A quarter of the new cases involved the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication resulting from E. coli infection that affects the blood and kidneys, Germany's Robert Koch Institute said.

The HUS outbreak, one of the largest of its kind, has been the main contributor to the deaths of some 16 people in north Europe, all of whom had travelled in northern Germany.

So far, more than 1,500 cases of E. coli/HUS have been reported in Germany alone and authorities have been unable to identify the source of the virulent strain of E. coli.

Germany's Consumer Protection and Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner deflected criticism on Wednesday that the government had falsely blamed Spanish cucumbers as the source of the outbreak after some tested positive for the bacteria.

'There were E. coli pathogens found on Spanish cucumbers,' Aigner told German television. 'Therefore, per European regulations, a rapid alert needed to be sent out.'    

Authorities in Hamburg said on Tuesday the E. coli found on Spanish cucumbers did not match the killer bacteria. Spain said it was considering legal action against authorities in Hamburg for blaming its produce for the E. coli outbreak.

Spanish farmers say lost sales are costing them 200 million euros ($287.5 million) a week and the crisis could put 70,000 out of work in a country which already has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union. - Reuters