Escherichia coli was first isolated from the feces of a child by Escherich in the late 1880s. This bacterium was first accepted as the normal intestinal flora of warm-blooded animals and only the faecal contamination index, and the pathogen species changed in the following years when pathogen species leading to humans and animals were killed. The most important foodborne pathogens known today are E. coli O157: H7, a particular species of this bacterium. However, this bacteria causes less outbreaks than salmonella bacteria.

The escherichia coli species, which started in Germany in 2011 first and then affected all European countries, is E. Coli O104: H4. In the 2011 outbreak where fifty people died, E. coli O104: H4 was identified as legume sprouts.

The E. coli bacteria are a member of the coliform bacteria group and the faecal coliforms subgroup. It is an easily stained, Gram negative, facultative anaerobe and non-spore bacteria.

Escherichia coli O104: H4 is a species of E. coli bacteria that lives in the lower intestines of mammals and is not frequently ratslan. Species of E. coli bacteria do not generally cause disease in animals, and some of them are among the beneficial bacteria. However, some E. coli species are considered pathogens for humans. These include E. coli O157: H7, E. coli O121 and E. coli O104: H4. Since 2005, the disease caused by E. coli O157: H7 bacteria has been included in the obligatory diseases in our country.

Escherichia coli O104: The outbreak of H4 in 1982 was caused by a bloody diarrhea caused by poorly cooked hamburgers. This bacteria produces some kind of toxin causing intestinal problems and severe diarrhea.

In advanced laboratories, analyzes for the determination of E. coli O104: H4 are carried out within the framework of microbiological analyzes. During these studies, domestic and foreign analysis methods are used.