Surveillance System Overview:
National Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) Surveillance Shiga toxin-producing Escherichiacoli (STEC) are estimated to cause more than 265,000 illnesses each year in the United States, with more than 3,600 hospitalizations and 30 deaths
(STEC infections often cause diarrhea, sometimes bloody.
Some patients with STEC infection develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication characterized by renal failure, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia that can be fatal.
Most outbreaks of STEC infection and most cases of HUS in the United States have been caused by STEC O157. Non-O157 STEC have also caused US outbreaks. Although all STEC infections are nationally notifiable, for several reasons many cases are likely not recognized
Not all persons ill with STEC infection seek medical care, healthcare providers may not obtain a specimen for laboratory diagnosis, or the clinical diagnostic laboratory may not perform the necessary diagnostic tests. Accounting for under-diagnosis and under-reporting, an estimated 96,534 STEC O157 and 168,698 non-O157 infections occur each year
STEC transmission occurs through consumption of contaminated foods, ingestion of contaminated water, or direct contact with infected persons (e.g., in child-care settings) or animals or their environments.
