Europe is dealing with a widespread outbreak of food poisoning that has claimed the lives of 17 people. Those who are sick may have been infected with a mutant strain of E. Coli that produces a super-glue to make it extra deadly.
Escherichia Coli is a nasty bug. It attaches to your intestines and produces a toxin that makes you sick. The toxin causes vomiting and diarrhea, but, in extreme cases, it attacks the kidneys and causes a deadly trio of coma, seizures and strokes. This new, mutant strain produces the deadly form of the toxin and a rare super-glue that helps the bug adhere to your intestines with a force never seen before in E. Coli.
As if the deadly combo of toxin and super-glue weren’t enough, this super bug is also resistant to most common antibiotics. Just great. [Reuters]