Which type of E. coli is known to cause bloody diarrhea due to Shiga-like toxin?

The type of E. coli known to cause bloody diarrhea due to the production of Shiga-like toxin is Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). This strain can lead to a condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, especially in children and the elderly. EHEC is typically associated with the consumption of undercooked ground beef or contaminated vegetables and other foods.

The Shiga-like toxins produced by EHEC inhibit protein synthesis in host cells, leading to cell death and damage to the intestinal lining, which in turn causes the bloody diarrhea that is characteristic of infections caused by this bacterium. This is a key feature distinguishing EHEC from other strains of E. coli, such as Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), which does not produce this toxin and is primarily associated with diarrhea rather than bloody stools, and Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), which produces heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxins leading to watery diarrhea but not bloody diarrhea. Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) causes a dysentery-like illness that can include blood and mucus in stool, but it does so through a mechanism of direct invasion and inflammation rather than toxin