EHEC outbreak in Germany: What have we learned?

The recent EHEC outbreak in Germany and other European countries is no longer in the mainstream news, but for those working in the field of Shiga Toxin (Verocytotoxin) Producing E.coli the time is there to draw conclusions for the clinical setting and to identify new areas of research.

The months after the outbreak have been an intensive period of scientific investigation and much new data are coming to light as to the pathology of this aggressive strain and the outcomes of patients who were treated for this infection. The upcoming 8th International Symposium on Shiga Toxin (Verocytotoxin) Producing Escherichia coli Infections is the perfect platform for the accumulation of these data as it offers an opportunity for a stimulating discussion in a multidisciplinary setting.

It is vital that we join our efforts together and tackle the many challenging questions that remain unanswered today. Our individual attempts to shed light on the situation through research and clinical practice will make a much broader impact if we share our insights and inspire each other to look at our work in the field of EHEC/VTEC/HUS from new perspectives.