WASHINGTON, April 12 (UPI) -- Lesser-known relatives of the E. coli bacteria strain behind outbreaks of foodborne illnesses in the United States could be just as dangerous, researchers say.
U.S. Agriculture Department microbiologist Pina M. Fratamico says she wants to know more about these less-studied pathogens, a USDA release said Tuesday.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 is well-known by food safety regulators, public health officials and food producers as the chief culprit in causing illness from contaminated food, but there are other strains emerging, researchers say.
A half-dozen of these emerging E. coli species, also called "serogroups," have come to be known among food safety specialists as "the Big Six," namely E. coli O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145.
Fratamico and her colleagues are uncovering telltale clues in the genetic makeup of these related pathogens so that the microbes can be identified and detected quickly and reliably.
A goal of the research, scientists say, is the development of user-friendly test kits for use by regulatory agencies and others.
