Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is the leading cause of acute kidney failure in children and typically results as a complication of a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 (STEC) infection. It can also result from other infections such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, hereditary factors, toxin exposure, lupus, pregnancy and cancer, but all these forms are much rarer (1). HUS can affect both adults and children, but is much more common in children (2).
Each year, HUS affects between 1.09 and 2.67 cases per 100,000 people per year in the U.S. This equates to 3300-8100 cases in the U.S. per year. The mortality rate for HUS, which primarily affects children under 10, is between 3-7% (1). Among the elderly, HUS has a dire prognosis, with mortality rates up to 50% (3).
Read more about HUS:
Sources:
1. Razzaq S. 2006. Hemolytic uremic syndrome: an emerging health risk. Am Fam Physician. 74:6:991-996.
2. Andreoli SP. 1999. The pathophysiology of the hemolytic uremic syndrome. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 8:459-64.
4 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2007). Escherichia coli O157:H7 from the Bad Bug Book. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Online at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap15.html
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