Between November 2013 and August 2014, nine cases of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O117:H7 VT1 were confirmed in adult men. Further investigation using semi-structured interviews revealed that eight cases were United Kingdom (UK)-born men who have sex with men (MSM) who had sexually acquired infection in the UK. Most were HIV-positive with high numbers of sexual partners. This behavioral profile resembles that associated with the recent rapid increase in other sexually acquired infections in MSM.

Euro Surveill. 2014;19(43)

Simms I, Gilbart VL, Byrne L, Jenkins C, Adak GK, Hughes G, Crook PD