A highly lethal strain of E. Coli that kills victims by inflicting acute kidney falure has hit Germany. At least 1500 people have succumbed to serous illness from the biological agent with at least 16 people already dead.
It is serious. It is a mystery.
The E. Coli strain has been found to secrete a more potent form of a shiga toxin. The E. Coli will cling to a person's intestinal wall and release massive amounts of shiga poisons to make people sick, causing amongst other things, sezures and stroke.
But this new strain of E. Coli also appears to have other behavior that makes it highly unusual, one of which is making it difficult to detect by conventional means.
E.Coli is a standard microbe used in biological research, both in biomedical and agricultural genetic research. This German strain of E. Coli could have undergone natural or made-made genetic changes to make it more potent.
One of the other main mysteries to this killer strain, is that public health officials cannot trace its source. They assume it comes from raw vegetables and warn the public from eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/world/europe/02ecoli.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2
The E. Coli strain has been found to secrete a more potent form of a shiga toxin. The E. Coli will cling to a person's intestinal wall and release massive amounts of shiga poisons to make people sick, causing amongst other things, sezures and stroke.
But this new strain of E. Coli also appears to have other behavior that makes it highly unusual, one of which is making it difficult to detect by conventional means.
E.Coli is a standard microbe used in biological research, both in biomedical and agricultural genetic research. This German strain of E. Coli could have undergone natural or made-made genetic changes to make it more potent.
One of the other main mysteries to this killer strain, is that public health officials cannot trace its source. They assume it comes from raw vegetables and warn the public from eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/world/europe/02ecoli.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2
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