Laboratory surveillance of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli in South Australia and the Hunter Health Area, New South Wales, Australia.

To estimate the prevalence of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli in Australia, bloody stool samples from two Australian locations were screened for the presence of Shiga toxin genes, stx1 and stx2. Four of 126 (3.2%) and 139 of 5,829 (2.4%) patients from the two locations had a positive polymerase chain reaction for Shiga toxin genes. Commun Dis Intell 2004;28:390–391.