The Importance of International Collaborations to Advance Research Endeavors

Growing up in Central Mexico, I was fascinated by the popular belief that the indigenous people used “Montezuma’s revenge” (better known as traveler’s diarrhea) as a way to retaliate against the conquerors that colonized Latin America. As I made the study of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli the central pillar of my scientific career, it was evident that the simplistic concept of a vendetta against foreigners was an urban legend. Instead, diarrheal disease results from a complex interplay between different categories (pathovars) of E. coli, the environment, and the host’s immune response. As I continued in my study of E. coli, I became particularly interested in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). This E. coli pathovar causes a broad spectrum of disease, ranging from mild diarrhea to hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. In the United States, contamination of beef and vegetables with EHEC serotype O157:H7 has resulted in numerous multistate outbreaks of diarrheal disease. Our work at the University of Texas Medical Branch has contributed to the growing body of literature regarding EHEC O157:H7 pathogenesis, virulence, and immune evasion. Such knowledge has been translated into the development of vaccines and therapeutics, resulting in reduced EHEC O157:H7-associated disease in humans. As I witnessed the translation of our research findings to clinical outcomes, my attention became refocused on Latin America. It is well understood that finding a solution for E. coliderived diarrheal disease and associated complications in this region would require a multidisciplinary team approach. Latin American investigators have a long-standing tradition of contributing to important advances in the discovery and characterization of different E. coli pathovars. For this reason, it was important to not only improve the visibility of their work but also to establish the collaborative network necessary to identify and implement solutions in their countries. During informal discussions with E. coli experts in the Latin American region, it became apparent that globalization of the food industry and its impact on agricultural trade have resulted in increased dissemination of pathogenic E. coli strains to different countries. Furthermore, since each country possesses their own autochthonous E. coli pathovars, the emergence of new outbreak-associated E. coli strains poses a serious concern. Such strains could have a devastating impact on animal and agricultural trade, as well as human health. It was clear that a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach would be required in order to identify, diagnose, characterize, and further understand these pathogenic E. coli strains and their associated diseases. To address this need for a collaborative effort, the Latin American