Tag Archives: shiga toxin

Deadly E. coli Strain Decoded

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The secret to the deadly 2011 E. coli outbreak in Germany has been decoded, thanks to research conducted at Michigan State University.

The deadliest E. coli outbreak ever, which caused 54 deaths and sickened more than 3,800 people, was traced to a particularly virulent strain that researchers had never seen in an outbreak before. In the current issue of the academic journal PLoS ONE, a team of researchers led by Shannon Manning, MSU molecular biologist and epidemiologist, suggests a way to potentially tame the killer bacteria. (more…)

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The War on Microbes

The outbreak of a new foodborne bacterial strain wreaking havoc in Germany is a reminder of the fast-changing nature of microbes and the dangers they pose to society. UA researchers are developing innovative strategies to fight emerging germs threatening the food and health-care industry.

The most recent outbreak of foodborne illness in Germany, which so far has infected more than 4,000 people and killed 36, serves as a reminder of the power microbes hold over humanity, in spite of scientific, medical and technological advances. (more…)

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Study: Consumers Value Safer Food More Than Current Analyses Suggest

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Government regulators could more realistically assess the value of improving food safety if they considered the fact that consumers typically want to avoid getting sick – even if it means they have to pay a little extra for safer food, researchers say.

In the world of food regulation, cost-benefit analyses are a primary tool for assessing the societal benefits of mandating more stringent – and more expensive – processing practices. In most cases, regulators determine a dollar value associated with pursuing new rules by estimating how many illnesses and deaths the safer processing would prevent. (more…)

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