Escherichia Coli.

Escherichia Coli. : Recently, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major global health threat, causing about five million deaths annually and expected to double by 2050.

o Scientists are revisiting bacteriophages—viruses that specifically target bacteria such as Escherichia coli—as a potential alternative.

• About Escherichia coli (E. coli): A rod-shaped bacterium from the Enterobacteriaceae family, commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals.

  o Most strains are harmless or beneficial, but some cause illnesses like diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, and pneumonia.

  o Transmission occurs through contaminated food, water, or contact with fecal matter from infected humans or animals.

  o Harmful strains produce Shiga toxin, which damages the small intestine lining and causes diarrhea; these are known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

  • About Bacteriophages: Viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria, acting as natural bacterial predators. They are found everywhere—in water, soil, on skin, or in the gut and are about ten times more numerous than bacteria worldwide.

  o Composed of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA, single or double-stranded) enclosed in a protein coat.

  o Unlike broad-spectrum antibiotics, these are highly specific, usually targeting only a few strains of a particular bacterium.

  o Used for treating burns, foot ulcers, gut infections, respiratory infections, and urinary tract infections.