EHEC
Food MicrobiologySeasonal Prevalence of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Pork Carcasses for Three Steps of the Harvest Process at Two Commercial Processing Plants in the United StatesSeven serogroups of STEC are responsible for most (>75%) cases of severe illnesses caused by STEC and are considered adulterants of beef. However, some STEC outbreaks have been attributed to pork products, although the same E. coli are not considered adulterants in pork because little is known of their prevalence along the pork chain. The significance of the work...
Meeting Review | SpotlightA Toxic Environment: a Growing Understanding of How Microbial Communities Affect Escherichia coli O157:H7 Shiga Toxin ExpressionEnterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains, including E. coli O157:H7, cause severe illness in humans due to the production of Shiga toxin (Stx) and other virulence factors. Because Stx is coregulated with lambdoid prophage induction, its expression is especially susceptible to environmental...
Meeting PresentationVitamin K Analogs Influence the Growth and Virulence Potential of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coliEnterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) can cause serious illness and deaths in humans by producing toxins that can severely damage our intestines and kidneys. There is currently no optimal treatment for EHEC infections, as antibiotics can worsen disease development. Consequently, the need for new treatment options is urgent. Environmental factors in our intestines can...
Meeting ReviewThe Intriguing Interaction of Escherichia coli with the Host Environment and Innovative Strategies To Interfere with Colonization: a Summary of the 2019 E. coli and the Mucosal Immune System MeetingThe third E. coli and the Mucosal Immune System (ECMIS) meeting was held at Ghent University in Belgium from 2 to 5 June 2019. It brought together an international group of scientists interested in mechanisms of colonization, host response, and vaccine development. ECMIS distinguishes itself from related meetings on these enteropathogens by providing a greater...
Food MicrobiologyThe Locus of Heat Resistance Confers Resistance to Chlorine and Other Oxidizing Chemicals in Escherichia coliChlorine treatments are used in water and wastewater sanitation; the resistance of Escherichia coli to chlorine is thus of concern to public health. We show that a genetic island termed the locus of heat resistance (LHR) protects E. coli not only against heat but also against chlorine and other...
Food Microbiology | SpotlightInfluence of Plant Species, Tissue Type, and Temperature on the Capacity of Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli To Colonize, Grow, and Be Internalized by PlantsFresh produce is an important vehicle for STEC transmission, and experimental evidence shows that STEC can colonize plants as secondary hosts, but differences in the capacity to colonize occur between different plant species and tissues. Therefore, an understanding of the impact that these plant factors have on the ability of STEC to grow and establish is required for food safety considerations and risk assessment. Here, we determined...