Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC): know your enemy!
18/04/2018 10:00 - 10:35
“To defeat your enemy you need to know your enemy”. Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are an important cause of foodborne disease and have become a key area of concern for the food industry. Infections have been associated with a wide range of symptoms from mild intestinal discomfort to haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and death. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that each year STEC causes 265,000 illness, 3,600 hospitalizations and 30 deaths in the United States.
STEC are challenging microorganisms in many aspects: ecology, isolation and detection, nomenclature… This talk will feature the latest knowledge on STEC to bear in mind when e.g. addressing this hazard in HACCP studies.
Laurence Blayo, Group Leader Food Safety Microbiology, Nestlé Research Center
