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Escherichia Coli And Its Effects On Our Health

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1. Introduction The gram-negative bacilli were first discovered and described by Theodor Escherich, a German pediatrician in 1885. Originally named as Bacterium coli commune, the name was changed to Escherichia coli (E.coli) (Stanford T. Shulman et al., 2007). E.coli is known as the most free-living organism being studied. More than 700 E.coli serotypes have been discovered. Their “O” antigen (somatic), and “H” antigen (flagellar) and “K” antigen (capsular) distinguish the different E.coli serotypes. E.coli is commensal bacterial species of the mammalian colon. The bacterium typically colonizes the gastrointestinal tract of an infant within a few hours of life. It is known that E.coli and its human host-derived a mutual benefit that they coexist in good health. Most of E.coli strains are harmless except in immunocompromised hosts, or when gastrointestinal barriers are violated that even non-pathogenic strains can cause disease. Nevertheless, there are certain serotypes that may cause disease in humans and animals. Pathogenic E.coli can be divided into six recognized diarrheagenic categories: enteropathogenic E.coli (EPEC), Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), enteroaggregative E.coli (EAEC), enteroinvasive E.coli (EIEC) and diffusely adherent E.coli (DAEC) (James B. Kaper et al., 2004). E.coli caused a major health problem in developing countries such as China and Korea. It has been found to be associated with most gastrointestinal diseases in

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