At least 60 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections are being investigated in Latvia.
The country’s Center for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) has been providing regular updates on the number of sick people. The majority of patients are children and illnesses started in March.
Initial results from laboratory testing on samples from sick people has identified two STEC serotypes – O103 and O26. Officials from SPKC are in contact with experts from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Two ECDC experts with experience investigating STEC outbreaks went to Latvia to provide support.
At least five children have developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is a rare but severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure and sometimes death.
More than 50 of the outbreak patients are children and seven are adults. A total of 31 patients have been hospitalized and six needed treatment in Intensive Care Units.
Recommendations have been issued to all 28 affected educational institutions by health officials and sick children or their parents have been interviewed.
Dairy company link
The Latvian Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) has temporarily partially suspended operations at a company called Straupe. This is because of information received from SPKC indicating the presence of E. coli in several employees of the company. The packaging line, where products are manually filled into reusable containers, has been stopped. The automated section of the line is being allowed to continue because products do not come into contact with workers.
Manually packaged dairy products produced by Straupe were delivered to 14 educational institutions during the period when students in various regions of Latvia fell ill with E. coli.
Samples of items produced at the company have been sent for laboratory testing but so far results for E. coli have been compliant.
PVD told Straupe to recall all manually packaged dairy products produced through April 10. The agency also ordered the company to carry out cleaning and disinfection of the packaging room and equipment, and to organize further training for employees on hygiene topics.
PVD had earlier sent 53 samples of various food products and more than 100 environmental samples for lab testing for E. coli. The agency conducted inspections in educational settings that had sick children and took samples from food outlets.
Earlier this month, a meeting of the State Operational Medical Commission (VOMK) was held to review the epidemiological situation. VOMK includes representatives from the Ministry of Health, SPKC, the health inspectorate, and several hospitals. The purpose was to ensure coordination between health sector institutions during a public health emergency.
In 2023, 37 cases of STEC infection were registered in Latvia and in 2024 there were 42 infections. On average, four to five cases are recorded per month.
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