New Study Finds Potential Treatment for E. Coli Infections

The University of South Wales researchers examining an enterohemorrhagic E.coli or EHEC strain that results in severe intestinal infection in people said they recently discovered new molecular pathways that regulate Shiga toxin production.

EHEC is a food-borne pathogen that discharges Shiga toxins during an infection, leading to neurological and kidney impairment.

The research team also said that "Early termination of the Shiga Toxin transcript generates a small regulatory RNA," which came out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is essential as there are no treatments commercially available to treat EHEC infections.

In their study, the authors described E. coli as a "significant human pathogen that leads to causes of diseases," ranging from hemorrhagic colitis to hemolytic uremic syndrome.

The senior author of the study, Dr. Jai Tree said, the infections' antibiotic treatment is typically not recommended as antibiotics may kindle the Shigon Toxin's production, resulting in a higher risk of kidney failure, neurological impairment, and even death.

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Reduced Toxin Production

According to Tree, the new pathway he and his team have discovered reduces the toxin production and is not expected to be roused by treating with antibiotics.

Therefore, the senior author added that their results identified a possible new target for developing drugs that can control Shiga toxin production during EHEC infection.

It's still early to tell, though, Tree explained. Still, there is a need to conduct further studies to understand if their findings apply to a broad range of clinical EHEC isolates and to both Shiga toxin types which human EHEC isolates produce.

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The Onset of 'EHEC Infections'

There were several ways in which an individual could have EHEC infection, the new study found. Dr. Tree elaborated that EHEC is primarily found in cows and sheep's feces, and humans could become infected through contact with farm animal and their feces.

They could be infected as well, through human-to-human contagion, if people come into contact with small amounts of feces from an ill individual, for instance, by either directly or indirectly touching contaminated surfaces.

The E.coli strain, this research found, could spread through the ingestion of bacteria by consuming uncooked of minced meat like hamburgers and fresh produce such as vegetable salad.

The strain could also spread if a person drinks unclean water or unpasteurized milk. The new findings also specified that children below five years of age and older people are at higher risk of developing an EHEC infection.

Outbreaks Less Likely To Happen but Can Be Fatal

While EHEC's prevalence was lower than the other food-borne pathogens, this infection could be quite severe or even deadly, said Dr. Tree.

The senior author said EHEC outbreaks occasionally occur in Australia and even worldwide in which the most significant occurrence happened in South Australia in 1995.

This incident, according to reports, resulted from a contaminated Mettwurst, a semi-dry sausage processed from "raw minced pork preserved by curing and smoking," Dr. Tree explained.

During this outbreak, more than 140 people were infected, from which 23 of them developed kidney and neurological damage.

Their findings, according to Dr. Tree, were a surprise as Shiga toxin genes have been well researched with nearly 7,000 published studies in the last four decades.

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