Development of diagnostic and preventive strategies to reduce Shiga Toxin E. coli (STEC) food contamination risks

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The E. coli that cause enteric diseases are divided into pathotypes, based on their virulence factors and mechanisms by which they cause disease. One of these pathotypes, called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), refers to those strains of E. coli that produce at least one member of a class of potent cytotoxins called Shiga toxin. STEC, especially those of serotype O157:H7, are important emerging pathogens causing food-borne infections leading to bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). However, non-O157 strains are also isolated from people with diarrhea or HUS. In contrast, certain STEC serotypes recovered from animals and food have never been associated with severe human disease. Prevention of infection in humans is a major undertaking that requires the development of new tools to detect STEC in farm animals, along the food chain and in end products. As not all STEC are pathogenic it is essential to characterize specific molecular markers in strains that represent a threat to human health. Once identified, these markers will be developed into a molecular tool(s) for early detection of pathogenic STEC contamination in food. In the long term this would permit the development of potential preventive and therapeutic strategies. Therefore, the aim of our research to characterise the virulence factors involved in STEC pathogenesis and to study their regulatory mechanisms. We will focus on genomic and post-genomic approaches to identify new candidates for inclusion into our improved diagnostic tools, safety monitoring and preventive strategies.