Manipuri scientist bags Best Poster Award at Global STEC Meet
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 18 2026: Dr Sanjukta Raj Kumari, a researcher from Manipur, has won the Best Poster Award at the 2026 International Symposium on Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC 2026) .

VTEC, held every three years, is the premier global forum on STEC.

This year's conference in Aberdeen drew over 400 experts from 25 countries, including the CDC, UN's FAO, USDA, Cambridge University, Roslin Institute, and Italy's ISS .

Dr Sanjukta's poster, "Temporal pangenome dynamics and functional diversity of Escherichia coli 026 in a cattle farm", tracks how STEC bacteria adapt their genetic toolkit over time in livestock.

Such work is key to tracking bacterial evolution and improving public health strategies.

STEC can cause severe bloody diarrhea and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, leading to kidney failure, especially in children and the elderly.

Experts advise: cook meat thoroughly, wash hands with soap after animal contact, avoid raw milk, and drink only treated or boiled water.

Dr Sanjukta is a Senior Scientist at the UK's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), an executive agency of Defra.

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