The New E Coli Bacteria More Deadly

Europe is currently facing outbreaks of E coli bacteria which make the pain more than 1,600 people in Germany and killed 18 people. World Health Organization states, the pathogen causing this outbreak is a new strain that has never been known by scientists.

According to the Beijing Genomics Institute, China in cooperation with German scientists, strains of E coli is a type of highly deadly and contagious. "This is a unique strain that has not been isolated from a patient before," said Hilde Kruse, food safety experts from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Preliminary research on the genetic analysis showed that strains of this bacterium is a mutant form of the two bacteria E coli, enteroaggregative E coli (EAEC) and enterohemorrhagic E coli (EHEC). When the two bacteria join, it would be dangerous to humans.

"One of the bacteria will take toxic substances from other bacteria and produce toxins that are more dangerous because it causes severe diarrhea, even damage the tissue, including kidney," said Dr Paul Wigley, a biologist from the University of Liverpool, as reported by the BBC.

The case of E coli outbreak has led to kidney failure a rare and life-threatening. Actually, the normal E coli infection was also life-threatening, but generally only in the group of infants and children and people who low body resistance.

In the case of Europe's most victims are women and teenagers. The German government found 470 cases of kidney complications. This outbreak is feared more casualties because until now can not ascertain the source of transmission of plague.

The incubation period of the disease was three to eight days. E coli bacteria can be found in feces and can spread if a person has a lack of clean living habits, such as not washing hands with soap.

Suspected outbreaks are caused by initial raw vegetables contaminated with E coli. Several studies conducted in Europe also showed a strong relationship between the symptoms of the disease and the consumption of raw vegetables.

WHO said, the cases because of E coli have been reported in nine European countries, including Austria, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and England. The majority of cases of people in Germany or people who just traveled to northern Germany.

E coli outbreak that occurred in Europe this is the third largest event and most cause fatalities. Earlier two people reportedly died in an outbreak in Japan in 1996 and made 9,000 people sick. Meanwhile, in 2000 in Canada reported 7 people died of E coli outbreak.