Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. Most types of E. coli are harmless or cause relatively brief diarrhea. But a few strains, such as E. coli O157:H7, can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. It also plays a vital role in urinary tract infections.
The person might be exposed to E. coli from contaminated water or food — especially raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef. Healthy adults usually recover from infection with E. coli O157:H7 within a week. Young children and older adults have a greater risk of developing a life-threatening form of kidney failure
After ingestion of E. coli O157: H7, the bacteria bind to the intestinal mucosa and begin releasing Shiga toxin. The toxin, in turn, disrupts protein synthesis in the epithelial cells lining intestinal mucosa, leading to cell death, sloughing of the mucosa, and eventual bloody diarrhea. Following exposure to the Shiga toxin, diarrhea, often the hemorrhagic variety, develops three days after exposure to the contaminated food specimen. After three days of diarrheal symptoms, diarrhea will become bloody in approximately 90% of affected patients.
Symptoms of infection with E. coli 0157. It typically appears 2-4 days after being exposed to the bacteria. However, symptoms may appear as early as 24 hours or as late as 1 week later.
These can include:
Stool and urine culture:
Isolation of the organisms and susceptibility profile and laboratory investigations are made.
Molecular and Rapid tests:
This includes immunochromatographic lateral flow devices such as dipsticks which can detect the presence of the O157 antigen in stool samples.
The prognosis is good and the infection caused by the bacterium can be subsided within 2-3 weeks.
When thawing meats:
When prepping foods:
When cooking and serving meats: