Ending E. Coli

You just had a delicious burger from that restaurant down the street from where you live. A day later, you have bloody diarrhea non-stop and you are vomiting right and left fiercely. You are wondering if something was off regarding that burger. Could you have E. coli?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is bacteria that normally lives in a person’s intestines that is relatively harmless. But certain strains of E. coli are dangerous for your body. For example, E. coli O157: H7 is spread from contaminated foods like raw vegetables and undercooked meats.

E. coli is a rod-shaped bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family. It can live in environments with or without air and live in the intestines of healthy people and animals.

There are six strains of E. coli known to cause diarrhea:

·       Shiga toxin-producing (STEC). This is the E. coli most commonly associated with food contamination. This strain is also called enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC)

·       Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). This strain is most commonly the cause of traveler’s diarrhea.

·       Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC).

·       Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC).

·       Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPIC)

·       Diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC).

The most familiar strains of E. coli that can make you sick do so by producing a toxin called Shigin. This toxin damages the small intestine and causes your diarrhea. These strains of E. coli are also called Shigin toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The STEC that is well known in North America is called the aforementioned O157: H7 or E. coli O157. There are other types of STEC that are referred to as non-O157. These strains can cause similar illnesses but with less serious complications.

Anyone who comes in contact with a disease-causing strain of E. coli can become infected. People who are at risk include newborns and children, the elderly, people who have weakened immune systems, people who travel to certain countries.

Each year in the United States, E coli infections cause approximately 265,000 illnesses and about 100 deaths. Approximately 40 percent of these infections are caused by the O157 strain and the other 60 percent is caused by non-O157 shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

People who get infections with the STEC strain of E. coli may have symptoms such as stomach pains and cramps, diarrhea that may range from watery to bloody, fatigue, loss of appetite or nausea, vomiting, and a low-grade fever of < 101 degrees F/38.5 degrees C.

Symptoms of a STEC infection can show up within three to five days after eating or drinking foods contaminated with this E. coli strain. But you can have symptoms as early as one day after exposure and up to 10 days later.

Please note that you can only get a E. coli infection through ingesting contaminated food or drink or by the oral fecal route if you don’t wash your hands thoroughly. E coli infections usually clear up on their own but a small percentage of people may develop a condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can lead to kidney failure and even death. This condition can show up in about 7 days after exposure. It is treated with IV fluids, blood transfusions, and dialysis (for a short period of time). Keep in mind that HUS only affects 5 to 10 percent of patients with STEC.

Symptoms of HUM are similar to STEC including diarrhea (bloody), fever, stomach pain, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, symptoms include decreased urination (blood in urine), feeling tired, pale-looking skin, easy bruising, fast heartrate, lightheadedness, sleepiness, confusion, seizures, and kidney failure.

To diagnose E. coli, your doctor will have to send your stool sample to the laboratory to test for the presence of the bacteria, such as the O157 strain. The bacteria may be cultured to confirm the diagnosis and identify certain toxins.

Treatment for E. coli is lots of rest and fluids to help prevent dehydration and fatigue. Antibiotics aren’t recommended because they increase the risk of serious complications and they don’t appear to treat the infection.

While you recover from E. coli you should follow some tips such as consuming clear liquids like water and broth, avoiding certain types of food (dairy, fatty foods, high fiber foods or highly seasoned foods can worsen symptoms), eating meals (returning to your normal diet as you heal). Give the infection time to work its way out of your digestive tract, also say no to anti-diarrhea meds because it will keep E. coli longer in your body.

In general, the best way to protect yourself from E. coli is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. That way you don’t spread the bacteria from your hands to your mouth. It’s important to remember that most strains of E. coli are harmless. Even if you do come down with STEC O157 strain, the illness will resolve itself within five to seven days. So don’t worry, you’ll be back to your old self sooner, rather than later.