[HIGHLIGHTS] Why can the E. coli bacteria present in our meats, cheeses and sprouts become so dangerous?

Escherichia coli is a completely ordinary bacteria. Present in the digestive tract of warm-blooded animals.

Certain strains have acquired virulence factors during the evolution. These can prove to be formidable pathogens, causing diarrhea, intestinal inflammation, urinary infections, or even sometimes very serious infections. One of them is particularly formidable in children: hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a rare but serious condition which particularly affects the kidneys. The cause is not the bacteria themselves, but a toxin that certain strains produce called “Shiga-toxin”