Escherichia coli and the mucosal immune system

The meeting was held in the beautiful city of Ghent, Belgium, to bring together basic scientists and clinicians working on Escherichia coli and the mucosal immune system; in particular focusing on cellular interactions, immune modulation and vaccination strategies in humans and animals. The aim was to exchange knowledge on the pathogenicity of different types of E. coli and recent advances in the area of mucosal immunity. The meeting was timely given the recent outbreak in northern Germany of an emergent Shiga toxigenic E. coli strain that was associated with the deaths of over 45 people and caused hemolytic uremic syndrome in nearly 800 individuals according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.