Giuseppe
Emeritus
[Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, full page: (LINK). Edited.]
Outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in Germany (3 June 2011, 11:00)
03 Jun 2011
On 22 May, Germany reported a significant increase in the number of patients with haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhoea caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
Since 2 May 2011, 551 cases of HUS have been reported from European Union Member States, including 520 cases in Germany. See table below.
While HUS, caused by STEC infections, is usually observed in children under 5 years of age, in this outbreak the great majority of cases are adults, with more than two-thirds being women.
Twelve of the HUS cases in EU Member States have died.
Laboratory results indicate that STEC serogroup O104:H4 (Stx2-positve, eae-negative, hly-negative, ESBL, aat, aggR, aap) is the causative agent. PFGE results shows indistinguishable pattern of 7 human O104:H4 outbreak strains in Germany and 2 strains of O104:H4 in Denmark.
The source of the outbreak is under investigation, but contaminated food seems the most likely vehicle of infection.
Most cases are from, or have a history of travel to the North of Germany (mainly Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, North-Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg). Within the EU, Sweden, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain have reported cases of HUS, related to the ongoing outbreak.
Number of HUS cases and HUS associated deaths per EU Member States as of June 3nd , 11:00
[Member States - Number of HUS cases - Number of death associated]
Countries reporting cases:
STEC is a group of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains capable of producing Shiga toxins, with the potential to cause severe enteric and systemic disease in humans.
Read more
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Outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in Germany (3 June 2011, 11:00)
03 Jun 2011
On 22 May, Germany reported a significant increase in the number of patients with haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhoea caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
Since 2 May 2011, 551 cases of HUS have been reported from European Union Member States, including 520 cases in Germany. See table below.
While HUS, caused by STEC infections, is usually observed in children under 5 years of age, in this outbreak the great majority of cases are adults, with more than two-thirds being women.
Twelve of the HUS cases in EU Member States have died.
Laboratory results indicate that STEC serogroup O104:H4 (Stx2-positve, eae-negative, hly-negative, ESBL, aat, aggR, aap) is the causative agent. PFGE results shows indistinguishable pattern of 7 human O104:H4 outbreak strains in Germany and 2 strains of O104:H4 in Denmark.
The source of the outbreak is under investigation, but contaminated food seems the most likely vehicle of infection.
Most cases are from, or have a history of travel to the North of Germany (mainly Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, North-Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg). Within the EU, Sweden, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain have reported cases of HUS, related to the ongoing outbreak.
Number of HUS cases and HUS associated deaths per EU Member States as of June 3nd , 11:00
[Member States - Number of HUS cases - Number of death associated]
Countries reporting cases:
- Denmark - 7 - 0
- Germany - 520 - 11
- Spain - 1 - 0
- Sweden - 15 - 1
- The Netherlands - 4 - 0
- United Kingdom - 3 - 0
STEC is a group of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains capable of producing Shiga toxins, with the potential to cause severe enteric and systemic disease in humans.
Read more
- Latest from Eurosurveillance (2 June 2011): update on ongoing outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotype O104, Germany, May 2011
- Escherichia coli (E.coli) health topic site: See ECDC risk assessment, list of all epidemiological updates, disease information
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