The fatal E.coli bacterium in Europe is a new, highly toxic strain

The World Health Organization said yesterday that E. coli bacteria are causing serious diarrhea in many European countries, a completely new strain, highly virulent and far more dangerous than strains. old.

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In Europe, this strain has killed 17 people and at least 1,500 others, of which one-third have kidney failure.

E.coli (Photo: popsci ).

According to Medical news , early genetic analysis showed that the strain could be a mutation of two other dangerous strains of E.coli , forming a "super-toxic" new strain.

Hilde Kruse, a WHO food safety expert, said: " This is a completely new strain that has never been discovered before. It carries some characteristics that make it more virulent and more dangerous than strains. This is another bacterium that we still have in our gut . "

According to Beijing Gene Research Institute (China), it also contains some resistance genes to antibiotics.

Experts say genetic exchange is unusual and it's hard to explain where the new strain comes from.

Dr. Paul Wigley, a professor of biological infection at the University of Liverpool (UK), said that most strains of E.coli bacteria do not cause serious illness like this new strain. It produces toxins that damage the intestinal tract, cause bloody diarrhea and can also affect other body parts, including the kidneys.

" The most serious complication is urea hemolytic syndrome, which leads to kidney failure, resulting in hemodialysis or, in some cases , death, " Dr. Wigley said.

To date, Germany has recorded 470 cases of this serious complication, of which 16 have died. Sweden also reported 15 cases and one person died. Some other countries have also recorded cases of this new E.coli strain of diarrhea in Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Speculating on the origin of the new strain, Wigley said that animals and especially cattle can carry more dangerous strains of E. coli in the intestine without showing signs of illness and they spread out through feces. . According to him the origin of this strain may be animal manure used as fertilizer on some farms to grow organic vegetables including cucumbers.