Enterohemorrhagic E. coli infections

Abstract

⋯There is always some little thing that is too big for us Don Marquis, Archy and Mehitabel, 1929 Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) represent a classic example for the role of the One Health paradigm. A silent barnyard colonizer of ruminants, this zoonotic group of organisms was recognized to have jumped the species barrier to humans barely three decades ago and now is an human enteric infection which is the most common cause of acute kidney failure in children. Transmitted primarily through a breakdown in the food chain that facilitates contamination by some of the world's overwhelming amount of bovine manure, EHEC demonstrate a great deal of genetic diversity and clearly show the ability to develop into more virulent strains. EHEC also have interactions with a spate of other life forms including viruses, fungi, protozoa and plants.