Enterotoxin

Enterotoxins (Greek for enteron = intestine and toxíne = poisonous) are poisons that attack the intestine and are often the cause of food poisoning with subsequent gastroenteritis . These are proteins that are secreted by some types or strains of bacteria and are the main cause of their pathogenicity . Enterotoxins are responsible for the symptoms of cholera , travelers' diarrhea and bacterial dysentery . The mode of action can be different, for example enterotoxins act as enzyme inhibitors or as superantigens . Enterotoxins are suitable for use as biological weapons .

Numerous genera and species of bacteria form enterotoxins, for example:

Gram positive

• Clostridium perfringens and C. botulinum
• Bacillus cereus
• Staphylococcus aureus (SEB, TSST)

Gram negatives

• Shigella (ShET 1/2)
• Pathogenic Escherichia coli strains
• Yersinia enterocolitica
• Vibrio ( cholera toxin )
• Aeromonas
• Plesiomonas
• Campylobacter

literature

• Lois J. Paradise, Mauro Bendinelli, Herman Friedman: Enteric infections and immunity. Springer, 1996 ISBN 0306452421
• Daniel C. Keyes, Jonathan L. Burstein, Richard B. Schwartz, Raymond E. Swienton: Medical response to terrorism: preparedness and clinical practice. 2nd ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2004. ISBN 0781749867 , p. 127