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BEIJING - The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday urged increased surveillance over E. coli (EHEC) following a food-borne bacterial outbreak that originated in Germany.
In a circular issued on its website, the MOH ordered medical institutions at all levels to beef up monitoring on suspected EHEC cases and to report these cases promptly to the ministry.
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Although these patients need not to be isolated, the MOH has ordered stringent disinfection in hospitals, as the EHEC bacteria can easily cause infection.
EHEC is a virulent strain of gut bacterium that can cause severe upset stomach, diarrhea, and stroke. In extreme cases, it can lead to a coma or kidney failure.
Germany suffered an E. coli (0104 strain) outbreak a month ago that has killed at least 16 people in Europe and sent hundreds to hospitals with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).
The World Health Organization (WHO) voiced concern over the EHEC cases on May 26, as they have been reported in nine European countries - Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
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