Increased detection of Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (STEC) O26: Environmental exposures and clinical outcomes, England, 2014-2023.

ABSTRACT: In England, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroup O26 has recently emerged as a public health concern, despite fewer than half of diagnostic laboratories in England having the capability to detect non-O157 STEC. STEC O26 cases frequently report exposure to farms or nurseries. We describe the epidemiology of STEC O26 and examine evidence for a relationship between O26 and exposure to these settings. We analysed national surveillance data describing laboratory-confirmed STEC cases and public health incidents over the past 10 years to explore the incidence, clinical outcomes, and association with farms and nurseries for STEC O26 cases compared to STEC O157 and other serogroups. Between 2014 and 2023, the proportion of STEC notifications which were STEC O26 increased f

SUBMITTER: Findlater L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12529424 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature