France has reported a decline in cases of a serious condition that can develop after an E. coli infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a severe complication associated with E.
coli infections that causes kidney failure. Data from Santé publique France shows 143 HUS cases in 2023 compared to 252 in 2022. There were several serious outbreaks in 2022, including one linked to Nestlé Buitoni frozen pizzas.
Italian data shows that 68 cases of HUS were recorded between July 2023 and June 2024. The Italian Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Registry is operated by the Italian Society of Pediatric Nephrology and the National Institute of Health (ISS). Santé publique France surveillance data on HUS only covers those younger than 15.
Almost 70 percent of cases in 2023 were children under 3, but patients ranged from 1 month to 14 years old. Males and females were equally affected. For 30 cases with available information, the median length of hospitalization was six days but ranged from 1 to 30 days.
Two deaths were recorded. From 132 cases, 56 were E. coli O26, 11 were E.
coli O80, seven were E. coli O157, six were E. coli O177, and five were E.
coli O145. Two foodborne outbreaks Fifteen epidemiological investigations were opened following suspicions of clusters of infections. Eleven included fewer than five cases.
For eight investigations, the microbiological and epidemiological work did not allow a conclusion to be drawn on a common source of contamination. In two cases, the microb.