Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli in Food and Patients in Germany
Author Information
Author(s): Werber Dirk, Beutin Lothar, Pichner Rohtraud, Stark Klaus, Fruth Angelika
Primary Institution: Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
Hypothesis
What is the public health relevance of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serogroups isolated from food compared to those isolated from patients?
Conclusion
Many STEC strains isolated from food in Germany are pathogenic for humans, but the most frequent serogroups in patients were rarely found in food.
Supporting Evidence
- Two thirds of food serogroups were also isolated from patients.
- The most common serogroups in patients were rarely found in food.
- An association with human illness has been published for more than two thirds of food serogroups.
Takeaway
This study looked at bacteria that can make people sick from food and found that many of the same types of bacteria in food can also be found in sick people.
Methodology
The study compared STEC serogroups from food isolates and patient isolates, calculating frequencies and proportions, and used the Wilcoxon signed rank test for comparisons.
Potential Biases
Differences in sampling schemes and periods may have influenced the results.
Limitations
The clinical outcomes associated with human STEC infection were not systematically recorded.
Participant Demographics
Patients included those with gastroenteritis, particularly children under 5 years of age.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Confidence Interval
95% confidence interval 9%–17%
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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