Public health and monitoring

Notification: All cases of clinically suspected or confirmed STEC infection should be immediately notified to public health, and to infection prevention and control teams if in an acute care setting.

and infection prevention and control teams if in an acute care setting.

Source of infection: Public health or environmental health will contact the person and family, if appropriate, to try to determine the source of infection, to provide infection-control advice in the community setting and to advise on exclusion from nursery, school and work where necessary.

Preventing onward transmission: To prevent transmission of infection, all symptomatic people should remain away from nursery, school or work until they have been symptom free for 48 hours. Advice on preventing spread in hospitals and care homes is available.

High-risk groups: Certain groups of people, such as food handlers, young children, those with inadequate hygiene procedures or people working with vulnerable groups will need to remain off nursery, school or work for a longer period. This also applies to people in high-risk groups living in the same household as those infected. Public health will provide guidance in these circumstances and will make, and subsequently lift, any necessary exclusions or restrictions.

Further information: More information on STEC infection, including infection-control advice for at home, can be found in the patient information leaflet.

Full details on the public health response can be found in the ‘Guidance for the public health management of Escherichia coli O157 and other Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) infections’.

NHS Boards caring for patients with clinically suspected or confirmed E. coli O157/STEC should consider conducting case reviews to explore the clinical management. Suggested local audit criteria have been outlined.