Vaccine to prevent 400,000 deaths from diarrhoea each year could become a reality - and it could even help prevent food poisoning

Scientists managed to colllect detailed information about the E.coli bacteria 

E.coli causes 400,000 deaths and 400 million cases of diarrhoea each year

Scientists carried out whole genome sequencing on strains of E.Coli

This means they were able to map and analyse the bacteria's DNA

Found strains of E.Coli are closely-related, making a global vaccine possible

Origins of one of the nastiest strains was traced back to one bacterium 

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A global vaccine to prevent the leading cause of food poisoning and diarrhoea is one step closer, scientists claim

Many strains are harmless and may play a useful role in the gut, helping us to stay healthy. 

However, certain strains produce a toxin.

Strains that produce the toxin can cause mild to bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. 

It can take three to four days for symptoms to develop. 

They can last for up to two weeks or longer in cases where there are no other complications.

Most cases of E. coli food poisoning occur after eating undercooked beef (particularly mince, burgers and meatballs) or drinking unpasteurised milk. 

A global vaccine to prevent the leading cause of diarrhoea and food poisoning is one step closer, researchers claim.

Scientists have managed to colllect detailed information about the E.coli bacteria, which causes millions of cases of diarrhoea a year.

They found that strains of the E.coli cluster into surprisingly closely-related groups.

This means the bacteria causing disease in South America are very similar to those in Africa and Asia.

Similarities between the strains of bacteria mean a global vaccine is possible, experts said.

E.coli causes 400,000 deaths and 400 million cases of diarrhoea each year in low and middle-income countries, as well as misery to many travellers across the affected regions.

The study, which was the largest ever into this potentially-lethal bacteria, was based on data from 362 different strains of E.coli which span 30 years and 20 countries.  

By comparing the way strains attach to human stomach lining, researchers from Cardiff University and the University of Gothenburg found that strains clustered into closely-related groups.

The close relationship between samples suggests a vaccine could be effective worldwide.

Professor Gordon Dougan, senior author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: 'This research strengthens our belief that it is possible to target a broad range of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (Etec) groups with one vaccine.

Etec is a strain of E.coli that is the leading cause of diarrhoea in the developing world.

Lead author Astrid von Mentzer, from the University of Gothenburg and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute called the data gathered 'exceptional'.

Researchers from around the world will be able to use it to find out about the ability of each strain of E.coli to cause disease, and what they have in common, she said.

She added: 'All of this research helps us to identify the shared weaknesses in Etec bacteria that we can exploit with vaccines.'

Dr Thomas Connor, a co-author of the study, from Cardiff University, added that whole genome sequencing – a process in which the complete DNA of an organism's genes is established – has allowed them to understand what makes an Etec bacteria.

The challenge now, he said, 'is to distil, from the vast wealth of data locked up in this dataset, the information needed to develop these new treatments to fight this key pathogen.'

While Etec was previously thought to vary widely across the world, this study traces many of the 21 different strains back their origins.

It was found that they can be traced back to an individual bacterium that was able to infect humans and spread, due to global travel.

According to this data, the emergence of these strains of E.coli probably took place between 51 and 170 years ago, a finding that suggests that they stable and unlikely to become quickly resistant to vaccines.

'Our work to develop a vaccine has received a real boost from this research,' says Dr Åsa Sjöling, an author from the University of Gothenburg and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

'This data gives us confidence that a global, future-proof solution is within our grasp.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2829927/Vaccine-prevent-400-000-deaths-diarrhoea-year-reality-help-prevent-food-poisoning.html#ixzz3ImO7jzuj 
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