Escherichia coli Serogroup O26

**Semantic type:** Bacterium

**Definition:** A species of facultatively anaerobic, Gram-negative rod shaped bacteria assigned to the phylum Proteobacteria. This E. coli serogroup produces the Shiga toxin, has large plasmids, and contains a high pathogenicity island (HPI) region within its genome. E. coli O26 was isolated from livestock and is a highly virulent serotype causing diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome with multiple complications in humans.

**Synonyms:** - ESCHERICHIA COLI O26 - Escherichia coli strain O26