The FSA in Scotland has published a report identifying key knowledge gaps and recommending areas for future research on enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC).
The recommendations are a result of an international workshop held in Midlothian, which was attended by experts around the globe. The workshop was hosted by the FSA in Scotland in conjunction with the Knowledge Transfer Network Biosciences and the University of Edinburgh.
At the workshop, priorities were agreed for research to help tackle EHEC at the main source of infection, the cattle gut. Delegates shared knowledge on the factors leading to the transmission and maintenance of infection in cattle, particularly the role of 'supershedders' - cattle that excrete particularly high levels of E.coli O157 in their feces.
The key recommendations in the report include: improve understanding of the epidemiology of EHEC infection; the need for more studies on the biology of host-bacteria interactions; and promote international collaboration to investigate how sequence based typing schemes can be used to investigate the evolution and virulence of strains.
The recommendations also include support further research on potential intervention strategies; and improve engagement between the industry, regulators and consumers to enhance understanding of the cost/benefit of intervention strategies as well as motivators and barriers to their implementation.