Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC)
VTEC are a group of bacteria which cause illness in humans. The most important VTEC strain to cause illness in the UK is E. coli O157. Symptoms can range from mild gastroenteritis to severe bloody diarrhoea, mostly without fever, through to two serious conditions known as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP) that affect the blood, kidneys and in severe cases the central nervous system.