The epidemiological data point to an escalating incidence of infectious diarrhea (Osservasalute, 2009).
Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the most important foodborne pathogens that causes significant losses among the
human population in the past two decades. More than
75,000 cases of foodborne illness attributed to E. coli
O157:H7 occur annually (Perna et al., 2001). The infection
with this pathogen, frequently associated with hemorrhagic
colitis (HC) is associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome
and renal failure (Paton and Paton, 1998a,b).