Environmental News Network - Researchers Seek Vaccine for ‘Traveler’s Diarrhea’

Details: By University of Georgia; 25.Sep

Every year, millions of people have vacations and business trips ruined when they succumb to “traveler’s diarrhea” during their journeys. A major cause of traveler’s diarrhea is bacteria called Enterotoxigenic E. coli, or ETEC. A joint effort between the University of Georgia and the University of Texas at Austin has discovered how ETEC works to cause disease. They are using this information in an effort to develop a preventive vaccine for travelers.

Julie Swatson

Every year, millions of people have vacations and business trips ruined when they succumb to “traveler’s diarrhea” during their journeys. A major cause of traveler’s diarrhea is bacteria called Enterotoxigenic E. coli, or ETEC. A joint effort between the University of Georgia and the University of Texas at Austin has discovered how ETEC works to cause disease. They are using this information in an effort to develop a preventive vaccine for travelers.

The researchers, led by the University of Georgia’s Dr. Stephen Trent—a professor in the department of infectious diseases—teamed up with the U.S. Navy Medical Research Center and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health to study samples taken directly from citizens who volunteered to become infected with ETEC.

“If we can understand how ETEC causes disease, we can develop new vaccines to prevent infections,” Trent said.

Ingesting contaminated food or water can lead to ETEC infection, which can cause diarrhea for up to a week. Considering the fact that up to 200 million people become infected annually, an estimated 1 billion days of human productivity are lost every year due to ETEC infections.

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Researchers Seek Vaccine for ‘Traveler’s Diarrhea’