Vero Cytotoxin-Producing Escherichia Coli 0157Epidemiology Report

Vero Cytotoxin-Producing Escherichia
Coli 0157Epidemiology Report

The incidence of 0157 VTEC infections is variable throughout the UK, with the highest rate in Scotland. In England and Wales, laboratories in the PHLS and NHS refer isolates of 0157 VTEC to the Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens (LEP), Central Public Health Laboratory for confirmation and further typing. The numbers of laboratory confirmed cases of 0157 VTEC infections for England and Wales since 1982 are given below:


When allowance is made for the improvements in ascertainment in the 1980s the incidence of the disease still appears to be increasing.







In Scotland, between 1986 and 1996, the trend is similar, but the graph below shows the dramatic impact of a large outbreak in 1996:









Data is not readily available for all countries in the world, but in Canada, there is a similar increase over time between 1988 and 1998. In 2000, a single outbreak caused 7 deaths and infected 2300 o...