E. coli killer uncovered?

Olympia, Wash.

-- Researchers at The Evergreen State College, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Texas A&M, are working to understand how bacteriophages might provide an alternate treatment to

E. coli

infections than traditional antibiotics.

The goal of the research project, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Phage Biotics, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to gain a better understanding of the relationship between E. coli bacteria - dubbed "the prey" - and bacteriopahges - "the viral predator."

The Evergreen State College microbiologists Andrew Brabban and Betty Kutter have discovered bacteriophages that attack various strains of E. coli naturally in cattle and sheep stomachs. Phage treatment is more specific to E. coli than traditional antibiotic treatments, according to the research, so it's less susceptible to resistance from harmful bacteria and less likely to kill good bacteria. Also, the bacteriophages are passed from one infected subject to another along with the E. coli bacteria.

The full study can be found in the article, "Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 and O157:H7-infecting bacteriphages in feedlot cattle feces," in the October issue of the Letters in Applied Microbiology journal.