The clinical samples were collected from patients who displayed symptoms of gastroenteritis and tested positive via qPCR for pathogenic E. coli expressing at least one of the following virulence factors: stx1/vt1, stx2/vt2, haemolysin (hly), intimin (eae), or an E. coli O157 specific gene (for example rfbE). This evidence concerns the gene STX2 and gastroenteritis.