A 75-year-old woman has tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has confirmed that the patient had no recent travel history and her home contacts were asymptomatic.

Bacterial strains belonging to the STEC group have been sporadically detected in Hong Kong. The most recognized serogroup of STEC is E. coli O157:H7. Since June 2011, the CHP has expanded the criterion for notification to include all STECs, in addition to the classical E. coli O157:H7.