Clinical spectrum of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in adults and children.
This report describes the clinical spectrum of disease among a series of pediatric and adult patients with symptoms of gastroenteritis that subsequently tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in their stool. All diarrheal stools (n = 1712) between July 2005 and November 2006 were tested with Premier EHEC (Meridian Bioscience, Cincinnati, OH). A total of 1.6% patients (27/1712) tested positive and 41% of patients had non-0157 E. coli, which can cause moderate disease requiring hospitalization. Cases of non-0157 E. coli would have been missed without testing for Shiga toxin. All bloody stools, and perhaps all stools, should be tested for Shiga toxin.
Appleman
Stephanie Simon
SS
Department of Pediatrics, INOVA Fairfax Hospital for Children, Falls Church, Virginia, USA. stephanie_appleman@yahoo.com
Ascher
David
D
Park
Choong
C
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*