[Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and hemolytic-uremic syndrome]

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are increasingly identified as the cause of diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis in countries with highly developed livestock. In 5-10% of patients, full-blown hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) occurs as a postinfectious life-threatening complication. Up to 1996, 5 out of 39 patients (12.8%) with EHEC O157 infections in Austria developed HUS. Acute complications of HUS such as brain edema may also lead to death; one fatal outcome has been observed so far in Austrian patients. Aside from the cytotoxic Shiga toxins, other different pathogenic factors are often found in clinical EHEC isolates. These include a cytolysin termed EHEC-hemolysin and a low molecular heat-stabile enterotoxin. Furthermore, most EHEC strains express an important surface protein, intimin, which is important for adherence to intestinal epithelial cells. EHEC are heterogeneous in their antigenic structure (O-, H-antigens). In Austria O157:H7 and O157:H- are the dominating serogroups; in 1997 the first Austrian case of HUS due to EHEC O26:H11 was documented. Because there are no known reliable phenotypical markers for EHEC, diagnostic strategies should focus on the demonstration of Shiga toxins or Shiga toxin genes. For epidemiological purposes it is also important to attempt to isolate the causative agent. Cows and other ruminants are reservoirs for EHEC. In the Tyrol 3% of unpasteurised milk samples, up to 10% of minced beef samples, and 6% of calves yield EHEC O157. Aside from transmission via contaminated food, direct transmission from person to person also plays a major role in the chain of EHEC infection. In contrast to Italy and Bavaria, Austria has not experienced a major outbreak due to this organism so far. A nationwide surveillance system of HUS has shown an incidence of 0.37 HUS cases per 100,000 residents in the age group 0-14 years for 1995 (Italy: 0.2 cases per 100,000; Bavaria: approx. 1.5 cases per 100,000).