E.coli, the much dreaded toxic bacteria could be targeting meat-eaters through subtilase cytotoxin, research reveals.
The toxin seems to be homing on human cells that express a sugar called Neu5Gc on their surface.
Rapid Rise of E.coli Bug Feared
Doctors have grown increasingly concerned about resistant strains of Escherichia coli
Advertisement
Now humans don't make Neu5Gc, but they consume foods that have high levels of the sugar in question. Red meat and dairy products are particularly rich in Neu5Gc. Hence consumption of such food items makes one susceptible to attack by the toxin, it is theorized.
An international team of researchers studied E.coli, and their findings are published in the journal Nature.
"Red meat and dairy products, the richest dietary sources of Neu5Gc, are also the foods that are most commonly contaminated with the E. coli bacteria that produce the toxin," says Dr Adrienne Paton, a microbiologist of the University of Adelaide and a co-author of the paper.
![France Issues E.coli Warning Over Minced Meat Sales]( "France Issues E.coli Warning Over Minced Meat Sales")
French officials said Tuesday they had issued a health warning after thousands of people were sold beef contaminated with the E.
"Through dietary choices, therefore, humans may expose themselves to an increased risk of infection with the E. coli bacteria and simultaneously sensitise themselves to the potentially lethal actions of the toxin it produces," Paton points out.
E.coli cause bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS).
In HUS, toxin-induced damage to the delicate cells lining the blood vessels causes clots, damage to red blood cells and kidney failure.
The international research team also included scientists from Monash University, the University of California (Davis and San Diego) and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
"This research emphasises the need for people to eat only well-cooked red meat (particularly for hamburgers), or pasteurised dairy products, as these processes destroy contaminating bacteria," Professor Paton says.
Source: Medindia
GPL/L
"Red meat and dairy products, the richest dietary sources of Neu5Gc, are also the foods that are most commonly contaminated with the E. coli bacteria that produce the toxin," says Dr Adrienne Paton, a microbiologist of the University of Adelaide and a co-author of the paper.
France Issues E.coli Warning Over Minced Meat Sales
French officials said Tuesday they had issued a health warning after thousands of people were sold beef contaminated with the E.
Advertisement
"Through dietary choices, therefore, humans may expose themselves to an increased risk of infection with the E. coli bacteria and simultaneously sensitise themselves to the potentially lethal actions of the toxin it produces," Paton points out.
E.coli cause bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS).
In HUS, toxin-induced damage to the delicate cells lining the blood vessels causes clots, damage to red blood cells and kidney failure.
The international research team also included scientists from Monash University, the University of California (Davis and San Diego) and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
"This research emphasises the need for people to eat only well-cooked red meat (particularly for hamburgers), or pasteurised dairy products, as these processes destroy contaminating bacteria," Professor Paton says.
Source: Medindia
GPL/L
To Fight Climate Change Shun Meat, Says UN Scientist
Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel laureate and chief of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), feels shunning meat could be a key strategy in the fight against global warming.
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Research News
Light therapy enhances sleep and psycho-behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's patients with minimal side effects.
Electrical stimulation improves Alzheimer's patients' cognitive function and correlates with restored cortical plasticity.
South Korea's total fertility rate, averaging the number of children a woman aged 15-49 has in her lifetime, dropped to 0.81.
Scientists identified mechanisms governing immune cells, selectively removing troublemakers to reshape skin immunity. Benefits those with psoriasis, vitiligo.
By 2050, an anticipated increase from 494 million cases in 2020 to 1.06 billion people with musculoskeletal disabilities is expected.