EFSA – Story map on Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli that produce  cytotoxins  known as Shiga toxins and that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Shiga toxins are proteins that have a cytotoxic effect, meaning they can harm cells. These toxins exist in two primary forms: Stx1 and Stx2. Each form can be neutralized by different antibodies. Further, these toxin types are subdivided into multiple subtypes based on small genetic variations. For example, Stx1 includes subtypes such as stx1a, stx1c, and stx1d. Similarly, Stx2 has several subtypes, more than ten described up to now, including stx2a, stx2b, and so on. ( Scheutz et al., 2012 ;  Bai et al., 2021 ).