Inflammation feeds E. coli

Inflamed intestines produce their own brand of fertilizers, which nourish E. coli and other disease-associated bacteria, a new study shows.

Everyone carries a small amount of E. coli in their intestines, and it normally causes no problems. But compared with people who have healthy colons, people with inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease harbor a mix of intestinal microbes that is heavier on E.