France logged 109 cases of pediatric hemolytic uremic syndrome in 2025, plus one death, according to figures reported to Santé publique France, the national public health agency.

The count marks a 25 percent jump from the 87 cases recorded in 2024. It also sits well below the 143 cases of 2023, which means 2025 is a rebound year rather than a record. Girls and young women made up 54 percent of cases, a slight skew toward females.

What is HUS, and why does the case count matter?

Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a serious complication that can develop after an infection with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, often abbreviated to STEC. In children it can destroy red blood cells and cause kidney failure. Because it's severe, rare and laboratory-confirmed, public health agencies treat pediatric HUS as a proxy for how much STEC is circulating in the food supply and the environment.

That's why the number is worth watching even at this scale. France's population is roughly 68 million, so 109 pediatric cases translate to a very low per-capita rate. But each case represents a hospitalized child and a traceback investigation for food safety authorities.

What does the change mean for operators?

For restaurants and food businesses in France, a rising STEC signal usually brings scrutiny of raw-milk cheeses, undercooked ground meat and raw flour products — the classic transmission routes. The surveillance data doesn't by itself trigger new rules, but it shapes where investigators look when clusters appear and how hard regulators lean on high-risk categories.

The 2025 figure lands between two very different prior years: a low of 87 in 2024 and a recent high of 143 in 2023. That swing of more than 60 cases between years is typical for STEC-driven illness, where outbreaks can swing annual totals sharply.

What comes next?

Santé publique France will continue to collect case reports through its pediatric surveillance system. Whether 2026 tracks closer to the 2024 low or the 2023 peak will depend heavily on whether outbreaks occur — and how quickly sources are identified and pulled.