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The Who's Who of E. coli Strains

Escherichia coli may be the world’s most recognized bacterial species, but this one species varies tremendously. E. coli is found almost everywhere; from soil to raw meat to human intestines. There are plenty of good E. coli strains such as those that assist in food digestion in the human intestines. However, there are also a number of harmful E. coli strains that cause urinary tract infections, meningitis, and intestinal infections. In recent years, there have been a number of E. coli outbreaks in the food industry. These outbreaks typically cause intestinal infections which can be severe or even fatal. In this post we will outline the who’s who of E. coli strains and identify why some strains…

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Articles of Interest

E. coli doesn't just give you food poisoning—it can also help you get essential nutrients

Unlike many gut microbes, most people know E.coli by name. It shows up in the news mostly thanks to food poisoning stories resulting from contaminated water and workers not washing their hands. But many strains are a normal part of our digestive system. In fact, the reason E.coli outbreaks are so common is at least partially because it's so common in our gut and those of other animals.

E. Coli Outbreaks - Preventable or Fact of Life?

Despite advances in medical science, bugs such as E. coli will always be one step ahead of us. Every now and then they will emerge with a vengeance as they spread illness and in extreme cases, death. Always try to find out where your produce comes from and never assume that your food is clean.

E. coli vs Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli - What’s the Difference and What’s the Problem?

E. coli, STEC, VTEC, O157… confused about the terms used for different groups of Escherichia coli and their relative food safety risks? You’re not alone. We often hear about the presence of “E. coli” and their use as a “faecal indicator”, or of STEC and its pathogenicity and symptoms, but regardless of what you may already know about them, to understand E. coli we must start at the beginning.

Gut microbiome: meet E coli – the infamous bacteria with an unfair reputation

Escherichia coli (which most of us know better as E coli) has a bit of a bad reputation. Many know it as the harmful bug that can cause a stomach illness, urinary tract infections, kidney failure and even death. But this reputation is slightly unfair. There are many types of E coli – and many play an important role in a healthy gut microbiome. E coli was discovered nearly 140 years ago when it was isolated from the poop of a German baby. Since then, it’s become the most studied species of bacteria – and arguably the most studied species of all life – on Earth.

Microcosm Winner #2: Why Are Some E. coli Good and Some Bad?

E. coli is actually a name given to a vast number of closely related strains of bacteria. They can live not just in us, but in other warm-blooded animals. Most of these strains do not cause diseases. They quickly colonize the gut of a baby (probably by contact with the skin of mothers and other adults) and feed on sugar. I’ve gotten estimates that 30 strains of E. coli live in a person at any moment. They live pretty quietly in the gut, making up about one in a thousand bacteria there.

Why Are Some E. Coli Strains Deadly While Others Live Peacefully in Our Bodies?

You have a variety of strains of E. coli in your intestine, including one that’s busy making the antioxidant vitamin K crucial for your and its survival.

Why Are Some E. Coli Strains Deadly While Others Live Peacefully in Our Bodies?

You have a variety of strains of E. coli in your intestine, including one that’s busy making the antioxidant vitamin K crucial for your and its survival.

Beating E.coli - what are you doing to break the chain of infection?

People are quite rightly increasingly concerned about antibiotic resistant bacteria and the search for new diagnostic tools and medicines, but we must never lose focus on simply preventing these infections from occurring in the first place.

Hacked E. Coli Shows the Promise of Programmable Biology

Researchers turn living cells into biological sensing and computing platforms.

My Life-Threatening Bout With E. Coli Food Poisoning

Before my illness, I was a healthy 22-year-old just out of college. But at some point, my doctors speculated, I must have eaten leafy greens contaminated by E. coli bacteria.

Swimmers turn to Coca-Cola to stave off E. coli at 2024 Olympic Games

Swimmers at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris have turned to Coca-Cola in a bid to fight off the risk of E. coli infection due to the pollution levels of the famous River Seine, which runs through the heart of the city in France.

The Fix for E. Coli Outbreaks Could Be ... the Blockchain

To improve food safety, we need a stronger chain of data. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

The Patient Who Finally Knows Why Her UTIs Won’t Go Away

Urinary-tract infections were once easy to cure. Then they started becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Unclean greens: how America's E coli outbreaks in salads are linked to cows

“I know that the FDA has been struggling to get the beef industry to really sit down with them and try to work up solutions that deal with the proximity of these operations near where fruit and vegetables are raised,” says Tony Corbo, senior lobbyist for the consumer advocacy group Food and Water Watch. With more than 40 E coli outbreaks since investigators connected the dots between cows and contaminated lettuce nearly 15 years ago, it’s past time for talking, says Raymond. “All this is too little, too late as far as I’m concerned.”

We Eat Crap. It Makes Us Sick

Escherichia coli is back. Every year an attack of food vs. people grips us, makes us think twice about crunching into that fresh cucumber or apple or celery stick, and reminds us of how deep in excrement we all are.

Resources

CDC

Six kinds of E. coli can cause diarrhea...

E. coli Blog

Surveillance & analysis on E, Coli news and outbreaks.

E. Coli Genome Project

The E. coli Genome Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had its genesis in an editorial by Frederick R. Blattner in the November 18, 1983 issue of Science, in which he raised the idea of completely sequencing the E. coli (and human) genomes.

Outbreaks

When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak. The list on this page primarily represents multistate foodborne outbreak investigations involving E. coli since 2006...

StatPearls

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gram-negative bacillus that is a causative organism of many diarrheal illnesses, including traveler’s diarrhea and dysentery. E. coli is the most common pathogen leading to uncomplicated cystitis, and also results in other extraintestinal illnesses, including pneumonia, bacteremia, and abdominal infections such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.