Your questions will be answered by a laboratory scientist as part of a voluntary service provided by one of our partners, American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are defined as strains of E. coli that produce Shiga toxins (stx).
The content on the site, which has been reviewed by laboratory scientists and other medical professionals, provides general explanations of what results might mean for each test listed on the site, such as what a high or low value might suggest to your healthcare practitioner about your health or medical condition.The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. Then, the positive samples must be sent to public health laboratories to look for non-O157 STEC. Even ingesting small numbers of In addition to symptoms of nausea, severe abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea, fatigue, or possible vomiting and low-grade fever, STEC infections are often associated with bloody stools and, less commonly, can lead to serious complications, specifically About 5-10% of people who are diagnosed with an O157 STEC infection develop HUS.
Accessed 7/17/2016. Very young children and the elderly are more likely to develop severe illness and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) than others, but even healthy older children and young adults can become seriously ill.The symptoms of STEC infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. Medscape, Emerging infectious diseases. Accessed 7/17/2016.Bush, L.M., MD and Perez, M.T., MD. Accessed 7/17/2016.
Available online at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/e-coli/DS01007. (Updated 2015 November 6).
"Stigi, K.A. However, you are currently at Lab Tests Online. INTRODUCTION. Unfortunately, this happens more often than we would like to think about. Accessed August 2011.Boyce, Thomas, G. MD, MPH (Reviewed 2007 September). Available online at http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/SearchResults?query=Escherichia+coli+++Infections&icd9=041.4%3b008.0%3b038.42%3b482.82. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)—STEC may also be referred to as Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) or enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC).
Available online at http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec09/ch115/ch115b.html. The major source for human illnesses is cattle. Reference ranges are the values expected for a healthy person. (Reviewed 2016 May). © 2001-2020 by American Association for Clinical Chemistry There is no evidence that treatment with antibiotics is helpful, and taking antibiotics may increase the risk of HUS. E. coli. Other non-O157 STEC serogroups that often cause illness in people in the United States include O26, O111, and O103. (March 2008). Please allow 2-3 business days for an email response from one of the volunteers on the Consumer Information Response Team.How are Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections of the digestive tract treated?Why aren't antibiotics a recommended treatment for an infection with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli ?Why shouldn't I take anti-diarrheal medication if I have a Shiga toxin-producing E.coli infection of the gastrointestinal system? Accessed August 2011. (2012 April). Recommendations for Diagnosis of Shiga Toxin--Producing Levison, Matthew, E., MD. (Updated 2014 December 1). Exposures that result in illness include consumption of contaminated food, consumption of unpasteurized (raw) milk, consumption of water that has not been disinfected, contact with cattle, or contact with the feces of infected people.
(Updated 2016 June). As professional clinical laboratory scientists, our goal is to assist you in understanding the purpose of laboratory tests and the general meaning of your laboratory results. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/clinicians.html. First, clinical laboratories must test stool samples for the presence of Shiga toxins.