Safeguarding public and animal health

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Escherichia coli surveillance

Surveillance for E. coli is done using endemic disease submissions and is based on standardised and accredited testing criteria to:

• investigate associations with specific disease syndromes
• monitor and identify potential new and emerging zoonotic E. coli strains
• provide effective year-on-year comparisons to identify trends of E. coli in farm animals.

VTEC O157 is still the most important human pathogen in England and Wales, but the zoonotic and endemic disease potential of other VTEC serogroups is being monitored carefully.

VLA carry out investigations to trace sources of human VTEC outbreaks on request of HPA, if an association with farm animals is suspected.

Antimicrobial resistance patterns are monitored regularly with a particular interest in detecting emerging extended-spectrum beta-lactamase enzymes (ESBLs).