BERLIN - Germany's health minister says while he cannot give an all-clear in the deadly E.coli outbreak, an analysis of the latest numbers of new infections gives reason for hope that the epidemic is on the decline.

Daniel Bahr was talking on ARD Television before a crisis meeting with EU health chief John Dalli and other health officials in Berlin Wednesday on the bacterial outbreak that has killed 24 people and infected 2,325 in Germany, and more than 100 in other European countries and the United States.

Bahr reiterated that the source of the infection may never been found.

The cause of the contamination crisis is still unclear, but health officials have warned against eating cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and vegetable sprouts.