What is E. coli?

Escherichia coli (abbreviated as E. coli) are a large and diverse group of bacteria that exist in the human bowel. Hundreds of E. coli strains are harmless, including those that thrive in the intestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals.

There are a number of different types of E. coli, and while the majority are harmless, some can cause diarrohea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses. These kinds of situations usually occur when there is a spread of the bacteria from the gut to the urinary system.

Since the bacteria can survive outside of the body, its levels serve as a measure of general hygiene and faecal contamination of an environment. A common mode of infection is by eating food that is contaminated with the bacteria.

Some kinds of E. coli cause disease by making a toxin called Shiga toxin. The bacteria that makes these toxins are called “Shiga toxin-producing” E. coli or STEC for short. This can cause severe illness. One common strain called E. coli 0157 produces such toxins and this strain is responsible for the outbreak linked to the children’s farm in Surrey.