How does Escherichia coli O157 : H7 testing in meat compare with what we are seeing clinically?

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is but one of a group of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) that cause both intestinal disease such as bloody and nonbloody diarrhea and serious complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). W hile E. coli O157: H7 is the most renowned STEC, over 200 different types o f STEC have been documented in meat and animals, at least 60 of which have been linked with human disease. A number of studies have suggested that non -O157 STEC are associated with clinical disease, and non-O157 STEC are pres ent in the food supply. Non-O157 STEC, such as O111 have caused large outbr eaks and HUS in the United States and other countries. The current policy i n the United States is to examine ground beef for O157:H7 only, but restric ting the focus to O157 will miss other important human STEC pathogens.