[Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and its infection: from 1977 to 1995].

In 1997, Konowalchuk and coworkers reported a toxin produced by Escherichia coli that was cytotoxic to Vero cells. This toxin(Vero toxin, VT) was subsequently found to be an important virulence factor of E. coli associated with an outbreak of hemorrhagic colitis due to E. coli O157:H7 which occurred in the state of Oregon and Michigan in US. E. coli O157:H7 was then found to produce VT, which was cross-reactive with Shiga toxin produced by Shigella dysenteriae. VT(Shiga-like toxin Shiga toxin, Shiga toxin family) is the toxin which contributes to the symptoms of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. This article presents a historical perspective on EHEC and also reviews the structure and function of VT as well as epidemiological aspects of outbreak and sporadic cases of EHEC in American continent and in our county.