Which antibiotic works best against E. coli? | Escherichia coli – E.coli

Which antibiotic works best against E. coli?

DNA synthesis is also the target of various antibiotics. The combined preparation Cotrimoxazole (Cotrim®) contains two active ingredients which together prevent DNA synthesis in E. coli. In addition to these frequently used antibiotics, there are a number of rarely used antibiotics with different effects. However, some strains of E. coli bacteria now possess a number of resistance mechanisms.These prevent the bacteria from being killed by certain antibiotics. In order to find out which is the most effective antibiotic, a resistance test is therefore often carried out first.

Toxin-producing E. coli

A number of different strains of E. coli exist. Some of these strains produce toxins. These are toxins that can be harmful to humans.

Toxin-producing E. coli strains therefore belong to the so-called pathogenic, i.e. disease-causing E. coli. Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), for example, became known through an epidemic in 2011. This strain produces the so-called verotoxins.

Verotoxins damage human cells. Although the EHEC bacteria remain in the intestine, toxins produced by them enter the bloodstream. This leads to bloody diarrhea.

In severe cases, kidney damage or anemia are also the result. Besides EHEC, there are a number of other toxin-producing strains. These include the enterotoxic E. coli (ETEC).

They produce two different toxins, one of which is only deactivated by temperatures above 100° C. Both toxins trigger massive aqueous diarrhea. Many of the toxins produced by E. coli are very similar in structure and mode of action to other bacterial toxins. For example, one of the toxins produced by ETEC is about 80% similar in structure to the cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin also triggers aqueous diarrhoea. Bacteria of type E. coli are able to exchange parts of their DNA with each other. This also includes DNA sections in which different toxins are encoded. As a result, the ability to produce toxins can spread over populations or jump between strains.