E. COLI

E. Coli

E. Coli

Introduction

Escherichia coli, more often known as E. coli , is a bacterium commonly found in the digestive system of humans and animals. There are hundreds of different strains of E. coli. Although they are generally harmless, there are some that cause severe illness. The most widely known harmful strain is E. coli O157:H7 (Boyce, 2005).

E. coli O157:H7 is a shiga-toxin-producing gramnegative bacterium that causes foodborne illness. It is usually found in the intestine of cattle and produces large quantities of the shiga-like toxin, a verotoxin, which causes severe damage to the lining of the intestine in infected individuals. ...