Scientists at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have found a possible link between stress and E. coli.

The research, which will be published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, describes a protein on enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) called QseE that detects human stress hormones. EHEC is the class of E. coli that the deadly O157:H7 strain belongs to.

The research team, led by UT Southwestern associate professor of microbiology Vanessa Sperandio, suggest that detection of stress hormones trigger toxins from EHEC that helps it absorb nutrients from the body. These stress hormones are often linked to sepsis.

Dr. Sperandio and her team hope to use their discoveries to interfere with EHEC signaling and thus with the infection process.

Source: Forbes: Stress May Encourage E. Coli Illness