Pathogenic E. coli (from A Report from American Academy of Microbiology [p.7], 2011)
- ETEC: (Enterotoxigenic E. coli) attaches to the intestines via hairlike appendages called fimbriae, and produces toxins. ETEC causes diarrhea without fever. It is common in infants and is often the cause of travelers’ diarrhea (AKA Montezuma’s revenge).
- EIEC: (Enteroinvasive E. coli) invades and destroys cells lining the colon and causes watery, dysentery-like diarrhea. Fever is another common symptom.
- EPEC: (Enteropathogenic E. coli) attaches to cells in the intestines via an attachment protein called intimin and causes watery, sometimes bloody diarrhea. It is a common cause of infantile diarrhea in underdeveloped countries.
- EAEC: (Enteroaggregative E. coli) attaches to the cells lining the intestines in a distinctive clumping manner and produce enteroaggregative toxin. EAEC strains often cause prolonged diarrhea in children.
- EHEC: (Enterohemorrhagic E. coli) attaches via intimin protein, but produces a poison called Shiga toxin. EHEC strains cause bloody diarrhea and can sometimes damage the kidneys and progress to the potentially fatal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). EHEC has caused many large food-borne outbreaks worldwide; O157:H7 is the best known strain. This group is also known as STEC (Shigatoxin producing E. coli) and is the only group that is passed in animal feces.
