Shiga Toxin Producing Escherichia coli

Abstract

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is among the common causes of foodborne gastroenteritis. STEC is defined by the production of specific toxins, but within this pathotype there is a diverse group of organisms. This diversity has important consequences for understanding the pathogenesis of the organism, as well as for selecting the optimum strategy for diagnostic testing in the clinical laboratory. This review includes discussions of the mechanisms of pathogenesis, the range of manifestations of infection, and the several different methods of laboratory detection of Shiga toxin-producing E coli.

Keywords: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli O157; Gastroenteritis; Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli.