25. Digestive System Infections

25 Introduction

Micrograph of oval cells with and without projections.
Figure 25.1. E. coli O157:H7 causes serious food-borne illness. Curli fibres (adhesive surface fibres that are part of the extracellular matrix) help these bacteria adhere to surfaces and form biofilms. Pictured are two groups of cells, curli non-producing cells (left) and curli producing cells (right). [Credit left, right: modification of work by USDA]

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are so common that, unfortunately, most people have had first-hand experience with the unpleasant symptoms, such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. The causes of gastrointestinal illness can vary widely, but such diseases can be grouped into two categories: those caused by infection (the growth of a pathogen in the GI tract) or intoxication (the presence of a microbial toxin in the GI tract).

Foodborne pathogens like Escherichia coli O157:H7 are among the most common sources of gastrointestinal disease. Contaminated food and water have always posed a health risk for humans, but in today’s global economy, outbreaks can occur on a much larger scale. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly strain of E. coli with a history of contaminating meat and produce that are not properly processed. The source of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak can be difficult to trace, especially if the contaminated food is processed in a foreign country. Once the source is identified, authorities may issue recalls of the contaminated food products, but by then there are typically numerous cases of food poisoning, some of them fatal.

Media Attributions

  • OSC_Microbio_24_00_Ecoli

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Microbiology: Canadian Edition Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Keenleyside is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book