Human infections with non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Switzerland, 2000-2009

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 180 - 185
• Main Authors: Käppeli, Ursula, Hächler, Herbert, Giezendanner, Nicole, Beutin, Lothar, Stephan, Roger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.02.2011; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; bacteria; Bacterial toxins; Child; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Distribution; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli infections; Escherichia coli Infections - epidemiology; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Infections - physiopathology; Female; Genetic aspects; Hemolytic-uremic syndrome; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome - epidemiology; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome - microbiology; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome - physiopathology; human infections; Humans; Identification and classification; Infant; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged; non-O157; Serotyping; Shiga toxin; Shiga Toxin 1 - biosynthesis; Shiga Toxin 2 - biosynthesis; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli - classification; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli - genetics; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli - isolation & purification; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli - pathogenicity; Species Specificity; STEC; Switzerland; Young Adult; Switzerland
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid1702.100909

We characterized 97 non-O157 Shiga toxin (stx)-producing Escherichia coli strains isolated from human patients during 2000-2009 from the national reference laboratory in Switzerland. These strains belonged to 40 O:H serotypes; 4 serotypes (O26:H11/H-, O103:H2, O121:H19, and O145:H28/H-) accounted for 46.4% of the strains. Nonbloody diarrhea was reported by 23.2% of the patients, bloody diarrhea by 56.8%. Hemolytic uremic syndrome developed in 40.0% of patients; serotype O26:H11/H- was most often associated with this syndrome. Forty-five (46.4%) strains carried stx2 genes only, 36 strains (37.1%) carried stx1, and 16 (16.5%) strains carried stx1 and stx2. Genes encoding enterohemolysin and intimin were detected in 75.3% and 70.1% of the strains, respectively. Resistance to ≥1 antimicrobial agent was present in 25 isolates. High genetic diversity within strains indicates that non-O157 stx-producing E. coli infections in Switzerland most often occurred as single cases.