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 OD 0645/16 Guidelines for exclusion of people with enteric infections and their contacts from work, school and child-care settings (external site).
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• 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 Follow-up of Sporadic Enteric Disease Notifications (external site)
• OD 0645/16 Guidelines for exclusion of people with enteric infections and their contacts from work, school and child-care settings (external site)
• Communicable Disease Guidelines, for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Up-to-date STEC notification data
• General infectious disease reports