Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infections: following transmission routes

Abstract

Infections with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are the major cause of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), the most-common cause of acute renal failure in childhood. The mortality rate of HUS (0%-5% in most recent series and 10%-30% in individual reports) and residual chronic renal sequelae (in up to 50% of patients in long-term follow-up studies) emphasize the seriousness of HUS for public health. Several studies have described possible sources of EHEC infection. However, in the majority of cases the pathogen cannot be identified in food or animals and the routes of transmission remain unclear. In this review article the hypothesized routes of transmission are summarized. The medical data bases "Medline" and "Current contents" were screened for the years January 1966 through November 1998. The difficulties in following the chain of EHEC infection are discussed. A precise evaluation of the environmental aspects of the patient is a precondition for further analysis.