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Escherichia coliEscherichia coli is a model organism for molecular pathogenesis and vaccine studies. E. coli is a normal inhabitant of the intestines of all vertebrate animals, including humans. When aerobic culture methods are used, E. coli is the dominant species found in feces. Normally E. coli serves a useful function in the body by suppressing the growth of harmful bacterial species and by synthesizing appreciable amounts of vitamins. However, enteropathogenic and enterohemmorrhagic E. coli strains are important causal agents of infectious diarrhea, particularly amongst pediatric populations. Enterohemmorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is an important zoonotic pathogen of humans, causing severe diarrhea (hemorrhagic colitis) and sometimes hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Unfortunately, antibiotics increase the risk of HUS, and there are no current therapies for EHEC infections in human other than general supportive measures. EHEC can be transmitted by food and water. EHEC serotype O157:H7 is the leading cause of HUS in North America and Europe. Infection by E. coli O157:H7 is most commonly caused by the consumption of undercooked, contaminated ground beef or beef products, but can also be caused by contaminated drinking or recreational water, raw milk, and person to person contact. The infection mechanisms by which EHEC causes hemorrhagic colitis and HUS are not fully understood. The protective immune mechanism of the hosts against EHEC has remained unclear. GenoMesh has used E. coli as an example of showing the novelty and power of genome-wide literature mining using the GenoMesh algorithm. Please access and explore individual GenoMesh programs and find out what GenoMesh can do.
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