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Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC)
Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC)
Statutory notification
Shiga toxin producing
E. coli
(STEC) infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
Alert
: cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the
public health units
within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
See
notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB)
.
Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for
metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB)
or
regional residents (PDF 208KB)
.
For notification of regional residents see contact details of
public health units
.
See also description of
statutory medical notifications in Western Australia
.
Public health management
Important information
Infectious agent
: Shiga toxin producing
Escherichia coli
bacteria.
Transmission
: Faecal-oral, food-borne, water-borne and animal-person.
Incubation period
: From 1 to 10 days (usually 2 to 4 days).
Infectious period
: Most infectious while symptomatic. The infectious dose is low. The duration of excretion of the pathogen is typically ≤1 week in adults but 3 weeks in 1/3 of children. Use contact transmission- based precautions for hospitalised and institutionalised patients.
Case exclusion
: Until asymptomatic, including normal stools, for 24 hours. If patient works in health-care, aged-care, child-care or is a food handler or attends child-care, exclude until clearance specimens have been completed. See
Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB)
.
Contact exclusion
:
Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB)
.
Treatment
: Oral rehydration and appropriate treatment as recommended by doctor and clinical microbiologist.
Immunisation
: None available.
Case follow-up
: Cases followed up the Communicable Disease Control Directorate with assistance from the
public health units (Healthy WA)
.
Guidelines
OD 0490/14 Public Health Intervention for Sporadic Enteric Notifications (PDF 1MB)
Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts (PDF 764KB)
Communicable Disease Guidelines, for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners
Notifiable disease data and reports
Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
General infectious disease reports
Produced by
Public Health
Related links
Shiga toxin producing E.coli (STEC) and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) (Healthy WA)