The existence of a High-Pathogenicity Island (HPI) in 62 eae-positive Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was checked. The HPI was detected in 2 of 18 STEC-strains isolated from foods, in 5 of 15 STEC-strains from fecal samples of cattle an in 5 of 29 EHEC-strains isolated from human stool samples. All HPI-positive strains showed the beta-eae-gene and belonged to the serogroups O 26 and O 118. (The O-Group of 5 HPI-positive strains was not typable.).