The Canadian contribution to the science of verotoxigenicEscherichia coliand associated illnesses: the early years

Abstract

As stories of microbiological and infectious disease discoveries are told, one of the most charming of these in Canadian history is the recognition of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and associated disease. The considerable burden and impact of VTEC-associated infections is currently experienced worldwide. Jack Konowalchuk, Joan Speirs, and their collaborators in Ottawa, Ontario, defined the E. coli verotoxin. Mohamed Karmali, Martin Petric, and colleagues at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, established the association of VTEC and hemolytic–uremic syndrome. Nationwide, and with the dissemination of knowledge through the central health directorate in Ottawa, numerous scientists and clinicians were motivated to focus on this theme, and within a relatively brief chronology, much became known about the biology of VTEC and the pathogenesis, epidemiology, and clinical aspects of disease. Many Canadian investigators, but especially those in the veterinary school at Guelph, Ontario, also contributed to the science of VTEC among animals. The interactions between clinical and veterinary researchers led to a then unprecedented exponential growth in the knowledge base of VTEC. Canadians also participated in a better understanding of the origin and potential of the E. coli O157 serogroup. Whereas not exclusively Canadian, the contributions of our national scientists in this field must be seen as a vital part of medical and microbiological Canadiana; this essence is captured in this historical review.