9 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)
9.1 Epidemiologic Review
9.1.1 Disease Information
Overview: Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) is an intestinal disease caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli. Strains of E. coli can produce a toxin that causes serious illness.
Symptoms: Common symptoms include diarrhea, which may be bloody, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. In severe cases, patients may develop a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This syndrome can cause kidney failure.
Transmission: The disease is spread through the fecal-oral route by the consumption of contaminated food, unpasteurized milk, untreated water and other contact with feces or an infected person.
Treatment: Treatment is supportive care. Antibiotics should not be used to treat infection.
Prevention Prevention methods include proper hand hygiene after contact with animals and before handling food. Ensure food is cooked at the proper temperature. Only drink pasteurized milk.
9.1.2 Demographics
| Race | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|
| Asian, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Black or African American, Non Hispanic | 20.8 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.6 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Other Race, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Two or More Races, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
| Unknown Race and Ethnicity | <5 cases |
| White, Non Hispanic | 7.2 |
| American Indian or Alaska Native, Non Hispanic | <5 cases |
Rates for American Indian or Alaska Native, Non Hispanic, Asian, Non Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Non Hispanic, Other Race, Non Hispanic, Two or More Races, Non Hispanic, and Unknown Race and Ethnicity are not displayed due to low case counts.
9.1.3 Outbreaks
There were two outbreak reported or included cases from Salt Lake County. One of them was a national outbreak with cases with common exposures across the nation. The other was an out of county outbreak investigated by DHHS.
9.1.4 Monthly and Historical Comparisons
2023 had the highest STEC rates in the last 5 years.
Data for Utah and the CDC were retrieved from the CDC’s Notifiable Infectious Disease Data Tables.