Child case of E. Coli in Trentino-South Tyrol 

A case of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) toxic infection, complicated by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), was reported by the Bolzano Hospital to the Ulss Dolomiti Prevention Department. The patient was a one-year-old girl resident in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Given the deterioration in her clinical status, it was necessary to transfer her to the Pediatric Nephrology Department of the Padua Hospital. The clinical course showed improvement, and the child was discharged and returned home. Epidemiological investigations have indicated the potential for a causal relationship between the consumption of a particular type of cheese, produced by a dairy in Trentino, and the observed symptoms. Analyses performed by the microbiological laboratory at the ‘Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie’ indicated the presence of STEC in a sample of the aforementioned cheese. This finding prompted the nationwide withdrawal and recall of the affected product. This specific variety of cheese is crafted from raw (unpasteurised) milk, which may potentially retain traces of pathogenic microorganisms within the final product.