Europe’s E-coli crisis
Should the focus be on finding the source of the strain or enforcing precautions?
Scientists probing the deadly E-coli strain that has left at least 19 people dead in 12 countries across Europe are finding that the bacteria combines a highly poisonous but common toxin with a rarely seen “glue” that binds it to a patient’s intestines.
It may take months for the global team of researchers to fully understand the characteristics of the bacteria that has infected about 1,700 people, but they fear that this E-coli strain is the most toxic yet to hit a human population.
Should the top priority now be to identify the source of the E-coli strain, to find solutions or to enforce precautions? Just where should we start?
Inside Story discusses with guests: Dennis Kefalakos, the editor of New Europe, a weekly newspaper; Anthony C. Hilton, the head of biology and biomedical sciences at Aston University and former presenter of the BBC series Grime Scene Investigation; and Alexander Marguier, the editor of Cicero.
This episode of Inside Story aired on Friday, June 3, 2011.