''Escherichia coli'' O121 is a

pathogenic In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

serotype A serotype or serovar is a distinct variation within a species of bacteria or virus or among immune cells of different individuals. These microorganisms, viruses, or cells are classified together based on their surface antigens, allowing the epi ...

of ''

Escherichia coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

'', associated with

Shiga toxin Shiga toxins are a family of related toxins with two major groups, Stx1 and Stx2, expressed by genes considered to be part of the genome of lambdoid prophages. The toxins are named after Kiyoshi Shiga, who first described the bacterial orig ...

intestinal bleeding Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleed), also called gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIB), is all forms of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum. When there is significant blood loss over a short time, symptoms may include ...

, and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS, if left untreated, can lead to

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

. Most serotypes of ''E. coli''—a widespread species of

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

residing in the lower

intestines The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...

mammals Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

—are beneficial or do not cause disease. Unlike other pathogenic serotypes, such as ''E. coli'' O157:H7 (also an

enterohemorrhagic Shigatoxigenic ''Escherichia coli'' (STEC) and verotoxigenic ''E. coli'' (VTEC) are strains of the bacterium ''Escherichia coli'' that produce Shiga toxin (or verotoxin). Only a minority of the strains cause illness in humans. The ones that do ...

''E. coli''), little is known in detail about the

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

significance of O121. Therefore, O121 is sometimes roughly classified as a type of “non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing ''E. coli''” (non-O157 STEC). A U.S. outbreak of ''E. coli'' O121 in 2013 sickened 24 people in 15 states according to a statement released by the CDC. New York officials found the bacterium strain in an open package of Farm Rich brand chicken

quesadilla A quesadilla (; ; Mexican diminutive of ''quesada'') is a Mexican cuisine, Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings, and then cooked on a griddle or stove. Trad ...

s from an ill person’s home; parent company Rich Products Corp. of Buffalo, New York is now recalling these and several other items and the CDC, USDA, and FDA are now investigating to find the precise source of the outbreak. In 2016,

General Mills General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...

recalled 10 million pounds of wheat flour tied to an ''E. coli'' O121 outbreak.

References

{{Escherichia coli Escherichia coli

See also

References