Red meat such as lamb, pork and beef, carries a rare bacterium that causes food poisoning in humans.

In an article in journal Nature, the scientists say they discovered a potent bacterial toxin called subtilase cytotoxin that specifically targets human cells that have a non-human, cellular molecule on their surface - such as the one coming from red meats.

The molecule –N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) – is a type of glycan, or sugar molecule, that humans don’t naturally produce.

 

“Ironically, humans may set themselves up for an increased risk of illness from this kind of E. coli bacteria present in contaminated red meat or dairy, because these very same products have high-levels of Neu5Gc,” University of California, San Diego School of Medicine professor Ajit Varki, M.D., explained.

“The Neu5Gc molecule is absorbed into the body, making it a target for the toxin produced by E. coli.”

In the Nature study, the researchers discovered that sites where the Neu5Gc has been incorporated into the human body coincide with toxin binding.

“When the toxin binds to the non-human Neu5Gc receptors, it can result in serious food-poisoning and other symptoms in humans,” said Varki. The research emphasizes the need for people to eat only well-cook meat or pasteurized dairy products, processes that destroy contaminating bacteria. 

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