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Escherichia coli ( E. coli )
Most strains of Escherichia coli form part of the normal intestinal microflora in humans and warm-blooded animals. However, some strains have the ability to cause disease in humans through the presence of specific virulence factors.
(Image: Dr. M.S. Mitchell / CDC)
These diseases include food poisoning, eg E. coli O157, or infections outside the intestinal tract such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), and bacteraemia. E. coli are also becoming an important reservoir of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs).
What's new
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09 October 2009:
Farm visits and E. coli O157 (PDF, 119 KB) -
09 October 2009:E. coli O157 factsheet (PDF, 34 KB)
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August 2009:Escherichia coli bacteraemia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2004 to 2008 (PDF, 189 KB). Health Protection Report
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