What is STEC HUS?
What is STEC HUS?
Baby girl in hospital. Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (STEC-HUS) Caused by shiga toxin E coli (STEC) / verocytotoxin E coli (VTEC) In haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), the small blood vessels inside the kidneys are damaged. There are changes in the blood and the kidneys stop working as well as they should.
What is the meaning of STEC?
STEC is an acronym for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Most E. coli bacteria are normal inhabitants of the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, and are non-pathogenic (do not cause disease). However, some E. coli are pathogenic (i.e., disease-producing).
What is the difference between STEC and EHEC?
EHEC is a subset of STEC strains that can cause hemorrhagic colitis (HC). HC and the strains that cause it are of primary concern to food establishments because the disease can progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially fatal illness.
What is STEC infection?
Definition. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea in infected people. In rare cases, the same bacterium can also cause a kidney disease known as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.
What is the etiological agent of STEC HUS?
Although most people with STEC HUS have an associated E. coli infection, other related Shiga-toxin-producing bacteria, such as Shigella dysenteriae type I, have caused STEC HUS. The O157:H7 strain of E. coli produces a poison known as Shiga toxin or verotoxin that is absorbed through the intestines.
How is STEC diagnosed?
STEC infections are most often diagnosed through laboratory testing of stool (poop) specimens.
Where is STEC from?
Where do STEC come from? STEC live in the guts of ruminant animals, including cattle, goats, sheep, deer, and elk. The major source for human illnesses is cattle. STEC that cause human illness generally do not make animals sick.
What gives STEC HUS its virulence?
The production of bacteriophage-encoded Shiga toxin 2a (Stx2a) by STEC is the primary virulence trait responsible for HUS development, along with the presence of intimin (eae) and young age of the host (≤5 years old) [4–6].
Are VTEC and STEC the same?
Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) and verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) are strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli that produce either Shiga toxin or Shiga-like toxin (verotoxin). Only a minority of the strains cause illness in humans. The ones that do are collectively known as enterohemorrhagic E.
What is the prevalence of STEC HUS in children?
STEC-HUS is responsible of 90% of childhood HUS cases. The incidence has been reported to be 2–3/100 000 children. It mainly affects children other than epidemias. It most commonly occurs in children aged 5–6 years (4, 9). It is observed more commonly in summer months and rural areas.
What are the possible complications of STEC HUS?
Chronic complications include chronic kidney disease, proteinuria, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, gall stones, neurological deficits. The symptoms of STEC HUS are usually preceded by infection of the digestive tract (gastroenteritis) characterized by abdominal cramps and pain, fever and diarrhea.
What is typical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)?
Typical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is an uncommon disease that occurs in 5 to 15 percent of individuals, especially children, who are infected by the Escherichia coli ( E. coli) bacterium, usually O157:H7 but also 0104:H4.
How is Stec hemolytic-uremic syndrome diagnosed?
A diagnosis of STEC HUS may be suspected upon identification of characteristic findings. STEC HUS should be suspected in anyone, especially young children who develop sudden acute renal failure, anemia and thrombocytopenia after an episode of gastroenteritis with bloody diarrhea.
