A research team has produced the first complete genome sequencing of a strain of E. coli. This particular strain is associated with outbreaks of food poisoning that can be deadly.
Haythem Latif is on the research team at the University of California-San Diego.
“Although early detection is key to treatment, it has been known to cause severe renal failure in children,” Latif said.
He says the updated genome sequence for this strain of E. coli will help scientists tell one strain from another.
“During an outbreak, you may have 100 patients or whatever, that have had this and what you do is you’d type each of the different people’s pathogenic E. coli strain that they have and then you can trace it back to some kind of a source or some kind of lineage of a bacterial outbreak.”
Latif says sequencing technology has improved over time and that has allowed the research team to update the sequence for this strain.
