Almost 60 cases of a serious condition that developed after an E. coli infection were reported in 2024 in Italy. A child died.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a serious complication associated with E. coli infections that cause kidney failure and sometimes brain damage.
Italian data show that there were 57 HUS cases in 2024. Between July 1, 2023 and 30 June 2024, 68 cases were registered.
The Italian hemolytic uremic syndrome register is managed by the Italian Society of Pediatric Nephrology and the National Institute of Health (ISS). It collects information about cases that occur in Italy, information about patients, clinical characteristics and about the causes.
Italian situation
Patients came from 16 regions, four living abroad and disease started for another four people after returning from a trip abroad. In general, 54 out of 57 cases were younger than 15 years. Two were 15 to 24 years old and one was older than 65.
In the first five months of 2024, the number of cases reported was lower than expected. Only one case was registered in February and March. In June to September, observed cases were lower than the seasonal expectation. From October to December, the number of things was in line with recent years.
The median age of patients at the time of the start of the disease in 2024 was slightly more than 3 years old.
In 2024 it was possible to investigate samples from 52 cases. In 45 cases, an infection was found by Shiga-Toxin-producing E. Coli (STEC) and in 39 cases information was obtained on the STEC serogroup.
Infections associated with the so-called TOP-5 STEC serial groups O26, O157, O111, O145 and O103 were the majority, who represent 38 cases. In two cases there were indications for multiple infection with different STEC tribes O111/O103 and O111/O145.
The most detected serogroup in Hus cases was Stec O26 as it was identified in 17 patients. This is in line with the European situation in which E. Coli O26 dominates between HUS -cases related to STEC infection.
E. Coli O111 came in second while E. Coli O103, E. Coli O157 and E. Coli O145 were bound in third place.
Possible warning on labels
Data from Santé Publique France Show 143 French Hus cases in 2023 compared to 252 in 2022. There were several serious outbreaks in 2022.
Italy is considering introducing revised labeling rules for raw milk products, with the aim of reducing the risk of E. coli infections and HUS in children.
A working group including Ministero della Salute (the Ministry of Health), the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and Trade Associations was founded in January and will last three months.
A bill was proposed by politicians Matteo Rosso and Lorenzo Basso to require compulsory information on the label or packaging the health risk for children under the age of 10 from the consumption of raw milk products. This was inspired after a young boy named Elia Damonte from Arenzano died in May 2024 after eating raw milk cheese and developing Hus.
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