Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is a bacterium found in the guts of humans and animals. Most strains are harmless, but some can cause disease—from mild cases of diarrhea to potentially fatal conditions.

New findings by a team of Michigan State University researchers provide information for targeted prevention practices to reduce the prevalence of these potentially deadly strains of E. coli, which cause approximately 100,000 illnesses, 3,000 hospitalizations and 90 deaths annually in the United States.

“Most importantly, our study involved cattle farmers who were willing to be involved in projects that help to improve the safety and quality of the food they produce,” said Dan Grooms, MSU large animal veterinarian and a collaborator in the study.

See the full MSU Today article on the research project and the team’s findings.