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 CON in their stool. All diarrheal stools (n = 17 12) 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-O157 E. coli, which can cause moderate disease requiring hospitalization. Cases of non-O157 F. coli would have been missed without testing for Shiga toxin. All bloody stools', and perhaps all stools, should be tested for Shiga toxin.