STEC in Scotland, 2019: enhanced surveillance and reference laboratory data

On 18 August 2020, Health Protection Scotland (HPS), part of Public Health Scotland (PHS), published provisional information on Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157/STEC infection for Scotland for 2019. The information is compared to previous years’ data to show trends over time. 

In key points from the report: 

• During 2019, there were 150 cases of E. coli O157 and 108 cases of non-O157 STEC reported to HPS, which represents a slight decrease on the 156 cases of E. coli O157 and the 110 cases of non-O157 STEC reported in 2018. 
• Most isolates were reported in the summer months, a trend that is consistent with previous years. 
• E. coli O157/non-O157 STEC infection rates vary across the population, with overall higher rates observed in children under five years of age. 
• Enhanced surveillance information was available for 91% of cases.