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Pathogenic Escherichia coli
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<p><i>Escherichia coli</i> is a <a href="/facts/Gram-negative/S1PbVtp4">gram-negative</a>, <a href="/facts/Bacillus_(shape)/0rGR5vvU">rod-shaped</a> <a href="/facts/Bacterium/wC8xSCsU">bacterium</a> that is commonly found in the lower <a href="/facts/Gastrointestinal_tract/nK2zwqBS">intestine</a> of <a href="/facts/Warm-blooded/vw2TsPIP">warm-blooded</a> organisms (endotherms). Most <i>E. coli</i> <a href="/facts/Strain_(biology)/xFv4QWjN">strains</a> are harmless, but pathogenic varieties cause serious <a href="/facts/Foodborne_illness/9lxqlJqg">food poisoning</a>, <a href="/facts/Septic_shock/yc9mgmrz">septic shock</a>, <a href="/facts/Meningitis/4m4STzJB">meningitis</a>, or <a href="/facts/Urinary_tract_infections/4NwY9tL0">urinary tract infections</a> in <a href="/facts/Human/rlcTENsr">humans</a>. Unlike normal flora <i>E. coli</i>, the pathogenic varieties produce toxins and other <a href="/facts/Virulence_factor/jw099pff">virulence factors</a> that enable them to reside in parts of the body normally not inhabited by <i>E. coli</i>, and to damage host cells. These pathogenic traits are encoded by <a href="/facts/Virulence_gene/jw099pff">virulence genes</a> carried only by the pathogens. </p>