Joint EFSA/ECDC technical report: Shiga toxin/verotoxin‐producing Escherichia coli in humans, food and animals in the EU/EEA, with special reference to the German outbreak strain STEC O104

Abstract

Introduction\rThis report aims to give a short summary of reported Shiga toxin/verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC)\rprevalence and incidence in humans, food and animals. A special reference is given to the strain STEC O104:H4,\rwhich has been isolated as the causative agent for the largest outbreak of haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) ever\rreported, which started in Germany in May 2011 and includes several cases from other EU and non-EU countries\rlinked to the outbreak. The report focuses on cases reported in EU/EEA countries through the existing surveillance\rand monitoring systems in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food\rSafety Authority (EFSA) and the comparison of characteristics of strains from earlier reported isolates/cases with\rthe German outbreak strain.