• Question: Could any of your work help in the current e-coli outbreak?

    Asked by lewiswilson80 to Cat, Daz, Holly, Johnson, Pamela on 20 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Cat O'Connor

      Cat O'Connor answered on 16 Jun 2011:

      Hi Lewiswilson80,

      Not really I don’t think. At least not directly. I could do a lot of the statistics that you need to do to figure out what caused the outbreak but my research now is too specific.

      But i’d love to help, people are still getting really sick and even dying though the problem is not as big anymore.

      Have you been following it on the news?

      Cat

    • Photo: Darren Braddick

      Darren Braddick answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      Hi lewiswilson80

      No, it is unlikely. This type of E. coli is dangerous because it makes a toxic molecule – a toxin, which is very dangerous to humans. The bacteria I study (Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus) do not really do this usually, and are dangerous because they can become resistant to antibiotics which mean they are very tough to kill!

      Unfortunately, E coli is actually a hard bacteria to kill normally, because unlike Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, the structure of its cell is quite different, and is naturally already resistant to many drugs. E. coli is usually not very dangerous – but in some cases can be deadly.

      Like Cat, if my work could help, I’d love it to. I hope the authorities get control of that situation quickly!

      I hope that helps

      Daz

    • Photo: Pamela Lithgow

      Pamela Lithgow answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Hi Lewiswilson80,
      No my work won’t help with the current e-coli outbreak. 🙁 I work with viruses not bacteria like e-coli.
      They seem to have got it under control now though so hopefully it will be ok.
      Pam 🙂

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