A VIRUS that kills the food-poisoning bacterium E. coli O157:H7 has been discovered in sheep. The virus could help eliminate the bacterium in farm animals, greatly reducing the chance of human infections.
O157:H7, a toxic strain of the normally harmless gut bug E. coli, is a major cause of food poisoning. Three-quarters of cases can be traced directly to livestock, which harbour the bug without becoming ill. Meat can be contaminated when the animals are slaughtered, and manure can also be a source of infections.
So Andrew Brabban at Evergreen State College in Washington state and his team wanted to…
