Into the great unknown: what genetic features make E. coli become an avian pathogen

Abstract: Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli is a pathotype of E. coli which causes colibacillosis, a complex of extraintestinal diseases in birds. Colibacillosis is a big problem in the poultry industry, but despite a wealth of information available on APEC, we still cannot accurately predict which E. coli isolates will cause avian disease, as intestinal E. coli populations may contain APEC, and extraintestinally isolated E. coli may contain innocent bystanders, thus making it difficult to fulfil Koch’s postulates for most APEC. This presentation will focus on the use of genomics techniques to obtain a better understanding of APEC, what risks they may pose and where we can go next.
Reading List:
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