Summary

Escherichia coli bacteria cause many illnesses of the gastrointestinal tract. Often, people come down with these diseases when they eat contaminated foods, especially ground beef or raw produce. Though E. coli infections are most common in less developed parts of the world, they are also a problem in the United States—contamination occurred in prepackaged cookie dough in 2009 and in spinach in 2006. But all E. coli are not harmful, as strains found in the human intestinal system can help with vitamin K production or in fighting harmful bacteria. This revised edition of Escherichia coli Infections contains up-to-date information on the different strains of E. coli, including the latest outbreaks, statistics, diagnostic breakthroughs, and vaccine development.

Chapters include:

• E. coli Outbreaks
• What Is E. coli?
• E. coli Diseases
• E. coli Colonization and Transmission
• Epidemiology of E. coli Infections
• Disease Pathogenesis
• Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment
• Disease Prevention
• Future Possibilities and Concerns.

Specifications

Full-color photographs and illustrations. Sidebars. Further reading. References. Endnotes. Glossary. Web sites. Index.

About the Author(s)

Shannon D. Manning, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Michigan State University's National Food Safety and Toxicology Center and Department of Pediatrics and Human Development. Her current work involves the molecular characterization of enterohemorrhagic E. coli and Streptococcus (group B) in an attempt to identify genotypes and bacterial factors important for disease pathogenesis. She lives in Howell, Michigan.

Foreword by David Heymann, World Health Organization