Source: Xinhua
04-16-2009 16:44
Special Report: Tech MaxWASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A Michigan State University (MSU) researcher has developed a working vaccine for a strain of E. coli that kills 2 million to 3 million children each year in the developing world, a press release from the university said Wednesday.
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| E. coli (File photo) |
Enterotoxigenic E. Coli, which is responsible for 60 percent to70 percent of all E. coli diarrheal disease, also causes health problems for U.S. troops serving overseas and is responsible for what is commonly called traveler's diarrhea.
A. Mahdi Saeed, professor of epidemiology and infectious disease in MSU's colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Human Medicine, has applied for a patent for his discovery and has made contact with pharmaceutical companies for commercial production. Negotiations with several firms are ongoing.
"This strain of E. coli is an international health challenge that has a huge impact on humanity," said Saeed, who has devoted four years to develop the vaccine at MSU's National Food Safety and Toxicology Center. "By creating a vaccine, we can save untold lives. The implications are massive."
Enterotoxigenic E. Coli affects millions of adults and children across the globe, mainly in southern hemisphere countries throughout Africa and South America. It also poses a risk to U.S. troops serving in southern Asia and the Middle East.
Saeed's breakthrough was discovering a way to overcome the miniscule molecular size of one of the illness-inducing toxins produced by the E. coli bug. Since the toxin was so small, it did not prompt the body's defense system to develop immunity, allowing the same individual to repeatedly get sick, often with more severe health implications.
