Escherichia coli (STEC): Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Escherichia coli (STEC) is a zoonotic foodborne pathogen that causes serious human disease by producing toxins that attack the lining of the intestines and kidneys. This infection can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can be fatal. The main reservoir of STEC is cattle, and humans acquire infection by consuming contaminated food of cattle origin. Personal hygiene, safe cooking, and drinking pasteurized milk and juices are some of the prevention methods. The organism can be identified by growing in MacConkey Agar with Sorbitol (SMAC), enzyme-linked immunoassays, and polymerase chain reaction. Recent outbreaks include the multistate outbreak of E.coli strains O103 and O121 infections linked to ground bison from Northfork Bison Distributors, Inc.

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Escherichia coli (STEC)
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Identifications of the organism
This pathogen can be identified by growing in the MacConkey Agar with Sorbitol (SMAC). This is
a selective as well as a differential media exploited for the detection of this
enterohaemorrhagic pathogen.
Enzyme linked immunoassays are exploited for detection of the Shiga toxins. This assay is
usually done on the stool samples or the rectal swab collected from the suspected patients.
The DS2 automated enzyme linked immunosorbent assay is used.
Polymerase chain reaction is also an amplification technique that can be exploited for the
identification of this pathogen from enriched cultures (Venegas-Vargas et al., 2016). Created by:
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