The Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection rate in Europe jumped by 40 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, based on data from ECDC’s annual surveillance report.
After a stable period from 2014 to 2017, the rate increased by 41 percent in 2018. This made STEC the third most common zoonosis in Europe after Campylobacter and Salmonella.
A contributing factor may be the shift from culture to culture-independent diagnostic methods, with PCR more commonly used to diagnose cases, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
STEC infection is mainly acquired through eating contaminated food and contact with animals and/or their feces. Adequate cooking of food, particularly beef, and use of pasteurized milk may reduce the risk of foodborne infections, added the agency.
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