The researchers also found that changes in protein and carbohydrate levels in the diet had similar effects on the gut microbiomes of dogs as on humans.
The illnesses have been identified as linked to a particularly virulent strain of E. coli O157:H7. Cases have now been reported in five more states, the CDC added, bringing the total number of states involved to 16.
There are an estimated 288,000 cases of beta-thalassemia across the world, making it one of the most common genetic diseases, according to an editorial accompanying the study.
The new study identified more than 325,000 veterans from three U.S. Veterans Health Administration databases. Half of this group had experienced a traumatic brain injury at some point in their lives.
