Doctors in Germany are appealing for donations of blood to deal with the E.coli outbreak which has also affected 11 people in the UK.
German newspapers reported doctors having to give blood transfusions to those hardest hit in the north of the country.
Lutz Schmidt, medical chief of the Hamburg blood donation service, told Die Welt: "We need blood, plasma too. The stocks need to be replenished."
Globally more than 1,800 people have been infected so far, and 18 have died.
All are from or have visited northern Germany. Scientists in the country are still trying to work out the source of the outbreak.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said eight people in Britain have bloody diarrhoea and three are being treated for haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) - a deadly complication of E.coli.
Around one in three of all of the people affected have been hit by HUS, which affects the blood, kidneys and, in severe cases, the central nervous system.
The number of HUS cases in Germany has risen to 520 while 1,213 cases of bloody diarrhoea linked to the outbreak have been reported so far.
Cucumbers were initially thought to be the source
Experts at the Robert Koch Institute, which is responsible for disease control and prevention in Germany, said there are signs the rate of infection could be slowing.
They said new infections peaked on May 21 and 22 and have been dropping since then.
However, the outbreak is still thought to be the deadliest in recent world history, and is one of the biggest.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the strain of E.coli involved is extremely rare and, although seen in humans previously, has never been at the centre of an outbreak.
E.coli: Your Questions Answered
The strain is known to be resistant to many antibiotics, making treatment difficult.
People have been encouraged to follow good hygiene, including washing hands after using the toilet and before touching food, to avoid spreading E.coli.
In the UK, the HPA is urging people travelling to Germany to avoid eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers and leafy salad, including lettuce.
Anyone returning from Germany with an illness, including bloody diarrhoea, should also seek medical attention.
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