Escherichia coli O157:H7

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen that has emerged as a major cause of haemorrhagic colitis. It is a major food-borne infectious pathogen that causes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome.

E. coli O157:H7 (designated by its somatic, O, and flagellar, H, antigens) was first recognized as a human pathogen following two hemorrhagic colitis outbreaks in 1982. The first outbreak, with 26 cases of which 19 were hospitalized, occurred in Oregon, and the second, with 21 cases and 14 hospitalizations, followed three months later in Michigan.

 E. coli O157:H7 colonizes the digestive tract of cattle and is transmitted to humans by food and water, directly from person to person and, occasionally, through occupational exposure. E. coli O157:H7 can cause haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) mainly by secretion of Shiga toxins encoded by the genes stx1 and/or stx2 and variants.

Illness associated with the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits has increased as a result of changes in agronomic harvesting, processing, and consumption patterns. Escherichia coli O157:H7 has been associated with fresh produce, often due to the use of contaminated irrigation water or animal manure fertilizer.
Escherichia coli O157:H7