Pathogenic Escherichia coli
Strains of E. coli that can cause disease / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Escherichia coli (/ˌɛʃəˈrɪkiə ˈkoʊlaɪ/ ESH-ə-RIK-ee-ə KOH-ly; commonly abbreviated E. coli) is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms (endotherms). Most E. coli strains are harmless, but pathogenic varieties cause serious food poisoning, septic shock, meningitis, or urinary tract infections in humans.[1][2] Unlike normal flora E. coli, the pathogenic varieties produce toxins and other virulence factors that enable them to reside in parts of the body normally not inhabited by E. coli, and to damage host cells.[3] These pathogenic traits are encoded by virulence genes carried only by the pathogens.[3]
Pathogenic Escherichia coli | |
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Escherichia coli | |
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Bacillus coli communis Escherich 1885 |