Eurosurveillance · 2013 · 35 citations · 2 references
Veterinary MedicineInfectious DiseasesFoodborne Disease EpidemiologyMedical MicrobiologyOutbreak InvestigationBacterial EpidemiologyBacterial InfectionsFoodborne InfectionsFoodborne Outbreak InvestigationFoodborne Pathogen DetectionSource IdentificationBacterial Toxin EpidemiologyEpidemiological DiagnosisEscherichia Coli O157:h7 In MeatEscherichia Coli O157:h7 InfectionFoodborne Toxin-mediated IllnessMeat-borne Pathogen SurveillanceOutbreak CharacterizationToxin Risk Assessment
Denmark faced an outbreak of verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) O157:H7 infections in autumn 2012. Thirteen cases were diagnosed of which eight had haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Epidemiological investigations suggested ground beef as the vehicle of the outbreak. The outbreak strain had a rare toxin gene subtype profile: eae, vtx1a and vtx2a, and a high proportion of HUS (62%) among cases, a finding previously linked with the outbreak subtype profile. Toxin subtyping can be useful to identify high risk VTEC strains.
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