AGA Recent Advances in Understanding, Controlling and Treating Enteric Infections

Society: AGA

Infectious diarrhea is a leading cause of morbidity and of mortality globally. Enteric pathogens that are the cause of most severe acute diarrhea — as assessed by mortality — include Vibrio cholerae, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., enteropathogenic E. coli(EPEC), and EAEC. The burden of disease affects individuals of all ages but particularly young children, especially those living in poor regions where the disease is endemic. Infectious diarrhea is not only a health concern for international travelers to these areas. While the majority of infections occur in developing countries where contaminated food and drinking water are common, even developed nations cannot escape outbreaks. This session will present and discuss the most recent advances in enteric infection research that will span epidemiology, genetics and gene regulation, vaccine development, host immune response, and cell biology of infection. The broad spectrum of subjects covered at this session, will facilitate interdisciplinary interactions, and ultimately accelerate clinical and basic research aimed at controlling and treating enteric infections.