WHO Initiative to Estimate the Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases

cifically HUS, appears to be the highest in Argentina with estimates of approximately 22 cases of HUS per 100 000 children aged 6 to 48 months. These differences could be real or could simply reflect different capacities of surveillance systems to accurately collect and report cases. EHEC occurs in all countries. The incidence seems to vary between countries. In 2004 the number of laboratory confirmed cases in the European Union and Norway was 1.3 cases per 100 000 population while in the same year the incidence in the USA was 0.9 cases per 100 000 people. The frequency of EHEC, and more speEscherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterium that is found in the gut of humans and animals. Most strains of E. coli are harmless. Most human beings have a significant concentration of such "good" E. coli in their gut (typically up to 1,000,000 per gram of faeces).