Once on the ribosomes the toxin is able to shut down protein synthesis in the cell. Obviously this can have profound effects including the death of the cell and disruption of the normal control mechanisms within the cell. The end result is tissue damage, especially in the small blood vessels of the intestine, kidney and brain. Aside form kidney damage and failure, Shiga toxin may also cause brain damage, strokes, seizures and death. Fighting Illness After Infection Not everyone who is exposed to STEC will develop disease.
Some people appear to be more susceptible than others.
As with many foodborne bacteria, the young and the elderly are especially predisposed to developing complications, but we do not currently understand why some children develop a mild gastroenteritis while others get profound bloody diarrhea and kidney failure. Many factors may contribute to this, including the number of bacteria ingested, the amount of toxin that is made in the intestine, the degree to which the toxin is absorbed and the sensitivity of a individual's cells to the toxin once it is absorbed. However, there are a couple of things not to do. The second is to avoid using certain antibiotics. New therapies are currently being developed and tested in humans.