Epidemiology of Shiga toxin-producing other than serotype O157:H7 in England, 2016-2023.

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) infections are of public health concern as STEC can cause large national foodborne outbreaks of severe gastrointestinal disease, particularly in the young and elderly. In recent years, the implementation of PCR by diagnostic microbiology laboratories has improved the detection of STEC, and there has been an increase in notifications of cases of non-O157 STEC. However, the extent this increase in caseload can be attributed to the improved detection by PCR, or a true increase in non-O157 STEC infections, is unknown.

Validation of a mail-in delayed semen analysis protocol developed for home collection.

Objective: To validate a mail-in delayed semen analysis service using deidentified remnant samples from a US fertility clinic.

Design: Double-blinded prospective validation of screening/diagnostic test.

Setting: Fertility clinic and clinical reference laboratory.

National outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing O145:H28 associated with pre-packed sandwiches, United Kingdom, May-June 2024.

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) is a group of bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness and occasionally causes large foodborne outbreaks. It represents a major public health concern due to its ability to cause severe illness which can sometimes be fatal. This study was undertaken as part of a rapid investigation into a national foodborne outbreak of STEC O145.

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae identified as the main aetiological agent of respiratory disease in goats from a case-control study in Savannakhet province of Lao PDR.

Clinical signs of respiratory disease are common in Lao goats. To identify the causative agents involved in this clinical syndrome, a matched case-control study was conducted across 70 smallholder goat holdings in Savannakhet province. Fifty paired nasal swab samples were collected from goats with respiratory signs (cases) and unaffected (control) goats from 27 goat holdings.