Food poisoning hits blood type A harder

People with type A blood are more likely to suffer from food poisoning, a US study has found.

Researchers discovered that the E.coli bacteria latches on to intestinal cells in people with blood type A, but not blood type O or B.

Around four out of 10 people in Britain are type A+ or A-.

The findings could lead to a vaccine to protect those who suffer from stomach bugs on their travels.

Dr James Fleckenstein, associate professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, said: “We think this protein is responsible for this blood-group difference in disease severity. A vaccine targeting this protein would potentially protect the individuals at highest risk for severe disease.”

Enterotoxigenic E. coli primarily infects people living in or visiting developing countries. Some people infected with the bacterium develop watery diarrhoea that can be fatal.

The findings were published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.