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EINet Alert ~ Jun 03, 2011

*****A free service of the APEC Emerging Infections Network*****
APEC EINet News Briefs offers the latest news, journal articles, and notifications for emerging infections affecting the APEC member economies. It was created to foster transparency, communication, and collaboration in emerging infectious diseases among health professionals, international business and commerce leaders, and policy makers in the Asia-Pacific region.
In this edition:

1. Updates
- Case count of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
- Case definition of HUS
- Characterization of EHEC O104:H4

2. Articles
- Large and ongoing outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome, Germany, May 2011
- Update on the ongoing outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotype O104, Germany, May 2011

1. Updates

Case count of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
Economy / Cases (Deaths)
Germany / 520 (11)
Sweden / 15 (1)
Denmark / 7 (0)
The Netherlands / 4 (0)
United Kingdom / 3 (0)
Spain / 1 (0)
United States / 2 (0)
Total / 552 (12)
(WHO Europe Regional Office 6/2/2011)

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Case definition of HUS
http://www.rki.de/cln_178/nn_217400/EN/Home/HUS__Case__definition,templateId=raw,property=publicationFile.pdf/HUS_Case_definition.pdf"
(Robert Koch Institute 6/1/2011)

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Characterization of EHEC O104:H4
http://www.rki.de/cln_178/nn_217400/EN/Home/EHEC__O104__H4,templateId=raw,property=publicationFile.pdf/EHEC_O104_H4.pdf"
(Robert Koch Institute)

Other commentaries on the organism available at:
DNA Sequence Yields Clues to Germany's 'Super Toxic' E. coli outbreak
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/06/sequence-yields-clues-to-germany.html?ref=hp"
(Science Insider 6/2/2011)

German E. coli outbreak caused by previously unknown strain
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110602/full/news.2011.345.html"
(Nature News 6/2/2011)

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2. Articles

Large and ongoing outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome, Germany, May 2011
Frank C, Faber MS, Askar M, et al. Euro Surveill. 26 May 2011; 16(21):pii=19878
Available at http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19878

Abstract. Since early May 2011, an increased incidence of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhoea related to infections with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been observed in Germany, with most cases in the north of the country. Cases reported from other European countries had travelled to this area. First results of a case–control study conducted in Hamburg suggest an association between the occurrence of disease and the consumption of raw tomatoes, cucumber and leaf salad.

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Update on the ongoing outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotype O104, Germany, May 2011
Askar M, Faber MS, Frank C, et al. Euro Surveill. 2 June 2011;16(22):pii=19883
Available at http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19883

Abstract. Since early May 2011, a large outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhoea related to infections with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been observed in Germany. The outbreak is focused in the north, but cases have been reported from all German states and other countries. Since our report last week, the number of HUS cases has increased to 470 and STEC serotype O104 has been confirmed in many cases.

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