First E. coli vaccine for cattle developed
Research by Dr. Brett Finlay has helped develop Econiche – the world’s first vaccine designed to reduce cattle shedding of a particularly dangerous strain of E. coli. Econiche was developed by the Canadian biopharmaceutical company Bioniche in partnership with UBC, the Alberta Research Council (ARC), and the University of Saskatchewan. Most strains of E. coli are harmless, but some can cause severe illness and even be fatal when ingested by humans from contaminated meat, vegetables or water. The vaccination of cattle can help reduce the risk of food and water contamination by a strain that is dangerous to humans: Escherichia coli O157:H7.