EFSA provides scientific advice on Enteroaggregative E. coli
EFSA experts have assessed the public health risks associated with the consumption of foods contaminated with Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC).
Pathogenic E. coli strains are categorised into six groups – “pathotypes” – based on their virulence The degree or ability of a disease-causing organism (e.g. a bacterium, virus or parasite) to cause disease. EAEC, one of these pathotypes, causes diseases related to the gastrointestinal tract.
Experts of the Panel on Biological Hazards reviewed the characteristics of EAEC, the methods for their identification in food and antimicrobial resistance The ability of microorganisms (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi) to survive exposure to antimicrobials. This phenomenon, driven largely by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial agents (e.g. antibiotics, fungicides used as plant protection agents, etc), makes infections harder to treat and poses a significant threat to public health. in these bacteria.
To carry out their work, they used data provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and EFSA’s data on zoonotic A term given to diseases and infections that can be transmitted between animals and humans diseases.