Query: NC_007414:56508 Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933 plasmid pO157, complete sequence
Lineage: Escherichia coli; Escherichia; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This strain (substrain) is considered a reference strain of O157:H7, which was first isolated during an outbreak in 1982. Escherichia coli O157:H7. This strain is associated with Hamburger disease, which is caused by the contamination of meat products by enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). This organism was named for its discoverer, Theodore Escherich, and is one of the premier model organisms used in the study of bacterial genetics, physiology, and biochemistry. This enteric organism is typically present in the lower intestine of humans, where it is the dominant facultative anaerobe present, but it is only one minor constituent of the complete intestinal microflora. E. coli, is capable of causing various diseases in its host, especially when they acquire virulence traits. E. coli can cause urinary tract infections, neonatal meningitis, and many different intestinal diseases, usually by attaching to the host cell and introducing toxins that disrupt normal cellular processes.