Scottish E coli bug may be world's worst
Published Date:
02 September 2008
By ANDREW HAMILTON
SCIENTISTS are investigating whether Scotland could be home to a more virulent form of the deadly E coli 0157 bug than is found in other parts of the world, it emerged yesterday.
Microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington said evidence emerging from studies in the United States suggested some strains of the bug were more vicious than others.
He said that could help to explain why Scotland had the world's highest incidence of E coli.
Prof Pennington was speaking at the opening of an international conference in Aberdeen where leading scientists were to discuss a dangerous 0157 mutant form of E coli.
The bug is found in human and cattle intestines and can be passed by eating infected food and liquid. Prof Pennington, who will be the main speaker at the Food Micro 2008 event, which runs until Thursday, said the US studies suggested it was "not beyond the bounds of possibility" that Scotland could have a nastier strain.
He said: "There may be a strain in this country that is better at getting about and causes more mischief."
The full article contains 185 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
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Last Updated:
01 September 2008 10:34 PM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
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Related Topics:
Hospital superbugs
