An outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome associated with minced beef, Norway, January-February 2006: preliminary report

Abstract

On 20 and 21 February 2006, six cases of diarrhoea-associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) were reported to Nasjonalt

Real-time PCR and enzyme-linked fluorescent assay methods for detecting Shiga-toxin-producingEscherichia coliin mincemeat samples

“…For example, a recent outbreak of haemolytic uremic syndrome in Norway involved minced beef contaminated by E. coli O103 (Schimmer et al 2006). While no obvious relationship has yet been demonstrated between the O-antigen cluster and the stx genes of E. coli, the O-antigen specificity could, however, be considered an important presumptive determinant of pathogenicity.…”

Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) - Monitoring of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and identification of human pathogenic VTEC types

“…It should be noted that some non-O157 serotypes can be extremely virulent. The latter was the case in Norway, where a VTEC O103:H25 contaminated dry fermented sausage made of sheep meat and caused 18 cases of infection, of which ten were complicated by HUS (Schimmer et al, 2006).A feature of the Norwegian outbreak strain is that the genes encoding VT are easily lost on subculture and VT negative variants of the outbreak strain have been only recovered from some of the HUS patients. The possibility of VT negative strains that descend from human pathogenic VTEC is a further challenge for the diagnosis of VTEC associated disease.…”

Case definitions of hemolytic uremic syndrome following Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection vary in validity

“…Incidence is highest among children <5 years-old (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016; Crim et al, 2015; Crim et al, 2014; Marder et al, 2017). D+ HUS surveillance is a surrogate for the incidence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including E. coli O157, its most common cause (Centers for Disease and Prevention, 1995; De Schrijver et al, 2008; Schimmer et al, 2006; Werber et al, 2008). Such data can indicate the underlying E. coli O157:H7 burden, assist in outbreak recognition, and detect trends that signal expanding etiologic roles for non-O157 STEC serogroups (Mahon et al, 1997).…”