At least 60 Shiga-toxin-producing E. Coli (STEC) Infections are being investigated in Latvia.
The Center for Sickness Development and Control of the Land (SPKC) has provided regular updates about the number of sick people. The majority of patients are children and diseases who started in March.
The first results of laboratory tests on samples of sick people have identified two STEC serotypes – O103 and O26. SPKC officials have contact with experts from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Two ECDC experts with experience in investigating Stec outbreaks went to Latvia to offer support.
At least five children have developed the Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). Hus is a rare but serious complication associated with E. coli infections that cause kidney failure and sometimes death.
More than 50 of the outbreak patients are children and seven are adults. A total of 31 patients were admitted to hospital and six required treatment in Intensive Care units.
Recommendations have been made to all 28 affected educational institutions by health officials and sick children or their parents have been interviewed.
Dairy Company Link
The Latvian Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) has temporarily partially suspended activities at a company called Straupe. This is through information from SPKC that indicates the presence of E. coli to various employees of the company. The packaging line, where products are filled manually in reusable containers, has stopped. The automated part of the line may continue because products do not come into contact with employees.
Manually packaged dairy products produced by Strake were delivered to 14 educational institutions in the period in which students in different regions of Latvia fell ill with E. coli.
Samples of items produced at the company have been sent for laboratory tests, but so far the results are for E. coli compliant.
PVD told Strake to remember all manually packaged dairy products produced until 10 April. The agency also ordered the company to perform cleaning and disinfection of the packaging space and equipment and to organize further training for employees about hygiene topics.
PVD had previously sent 53 samples of different food products and more than 100 environmental samples for laboratory tests for E. coli. The agency carried out inspections in educational environments that had sick children and took samples of food outputs.
Earlier this month, a meeting of the State Operational Medical Commission (VOMK) was held to revise the epidemiological situation. VOMK includes representatives from the Ministry of Health, SPKC, the Health Inspectorate and various hospitals. The aim was to guarantee coordination between the health sector institutions during an emergency for public health.
In 2023, 37 cases of STEC infection were registered in Latvia and in 2024 there were 42 infections. On average, four to five cases are registered per month.
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