Gene

Bacteria

Biology

Bloody diarrhea

Diarrhea

Virology

Shiga toxin

Biochemistry

Shigella

Outbreak

Genetics

Microbiology

Shigella dysenteriae

Escherichia coli

Internal medicine

Medicine

Serotype

Virulence

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Following infection with certain strains of Shiga toxin-producing bacteria, particularly Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), patients are at elevated risk for developing life-threatening extraintestinal complications such as acute renal failure. Hence, these bacteria represent a public health concern in both developed and developing countries. Shiga toxins (Stxs) expressed by EHEC are highly cytotoxic class II ribosome-inactivating proteins and primary virulence factors responsible for major clinical signs of Stx-mediated pathogenesis, including bloody diarrhea, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and neurological complications. Ruminant animals are thought to serve as critical environmental reservoirs of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), but other emerging or arising reservoirs of the toxin-producing bacteria have been overlooked. Here, we summarize recent findings about reservoirs of STEC and review outbreaks of these bacteria both within and outside the United States. A better understanding of environmental transmission to humans will facilitate the development of novel strategies for preventing zoonotic EHEC infection.

Recent Updates on Outbreaks of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and Its Potential Reservoirs