STEC infection cases - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2023

SURVEILLANCE REPORT STEC infection cases Annual Epidemiological Report for 2023 Key facts • For 2023, 30 European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries reported 10 901 confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection. • The overall EU/EEA notification rate was 3.2 cases per 100 000 population, the highest annual notification rate since the start of the EU/EEA-wide surveillance. • In 2023, the rate was highest in children under five years of age with 13.7 cases per 100 000 population for males and 13.1 cases per 100 000 population for females. • The confirmed haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) cases were comparable to 2022, when cases increased after a stable trend during the pandemic years in the EU/EEA. Among the 522 HUS cases reported, the majority were in the youngest age groups, from 0–4 years (60%) to 5–14 years (19%). However, the highest proportion of the deceased cases with HUS were over 60 years old. Introduction Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli that can produce Shiga toxins. These toxins affect small blood vessels, such as those found in the digestive tract and the kidneys. The main reservoir of STEC is grass-feeding animals, cattle in particular. STEC infection is regularly associated with the consumption of undercooked beef which has been contaminated with animal faeces due to poor processing methods during slaughter, or other contaminated food e.g....