In recent years, federal authorities have recognized the clinical importance of other enterohemmoraghic E. colis, termed non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STECs).
While non-O157 STECs are gaining public health significance, several public health laboratories do not conduct routine surveillance for these organisms. APHL works with both commercial medical laboratories and public health laboratories to realize the importance of laboratory confirmation and epidemiological characterization of these organisms.
Public Health Laboratories and the E. coli outbreak associated with spinach
Guidelines for Isolation and Identification of Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli:
Many public health laboratories have developed the capability to detect and identify Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli, including O157:H7 and non-O157 serotypes. Such work, in addition to molecular subtyping of the isolates, is vital to public health surveillance activities and provides needed data for successful outbreak investigations. However, isolation of the pathogenic organism from an enrichment broth that has tested positive for Shiga Toxin by EIA can put a strain on laboratory resources. A work group comprised of APHL members and E. coli experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has written a protocol for testing such enrichment broths in the public health setting.