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E. Coli

An illustration of Escherichia coli bacteria
An illustration of Escherichia coli bacteria Illustration: Science Photo Library (AP)

While many strains of Escherichia coli are harmless or even helpful members of our gut microbiome, others can cause nasty gastrointestinal or unitary tract infections. Harmful E. coli often reach us through the food we eat, but they’ve also been found in freshwater lakes and beaches, likely as a result of improper runoff from sewer treatment sites or flood storms.

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